Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed this week after a Jaguar fighter jet crashed during a training exercise near Churu in Rajasthan. The victims have since been identified as Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh. Details shared by their families also indicate that Sindhu was new father who had resumed work mere days before the accident.
The 32-year-old from Kheri Sadh village in Haryana had joined the Air Force in 2011. His wife (a doctor by profession) had just given birth to a baby boy on June 10 — with Sindhu rejoining work on June 30. According to reports, he had called his father before setting off for the fateful training mission earlier this week. The Air Force pilot had also shared pictures of his newborn son on the family WhatsApp group hours before his passing.
“An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief. A court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the Indian Air Force posted.
‘Pilot tried his best to protect village’
A man who claimed to be an eyewitness to the Indian Air Force Jaguar Trainer aircraft crash told ANI that the pilots had tried their best to avoid any civilian casualties. The individual, identified as Rajdeep, said that they also found a diary of the IAF officer, which they handed over to the local station house officer.
“I was sitting in my field when I witnessed a sudden plume of smoke…Parts of the pilot’s body were found scattered…One diary of the IAF was also found, and we handed it over to the SHO…Pilot tried his best to protect the village, I can say it for sure (avoid a crash there),” he said.