Guwahati/Nagpur/Gurgaon: Squadron Leader Anuj Vashishth and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar, who operation sindor The Indian Air Force confirmed on Friday after recovering the wreckage that their Su-30MKI crashed in the hilly Karbi Amlong area of Assam on Thursday night last year shortly after it disappeared from radar during a training flight. The Sukhoi jet took off from the World War II-era Jorhat Air Force Base, 200 kilometers from Karbi Anglong, at around 6:45 pm and lost contact with ground control at 7:42 pm. Vashishth, 29, is getting married and his family lives in Sector 22B in Gurgaon. Duragkar, 25, had just returned to the squadron after visiting his parents in Nagpur about 10 days ago. Before the Indian Air Force commander called to confirm the death of his pilot son, his father Ravindra learned of the crashed plane’s traces from relatives.
“Lieutenant Vashishth is introverted but passionate about flying”Karbi Anglong DC Aranyak Saikia told TOI that the plane crashed on “a remote uninhabited hill” near Rongkhelan village under Nilip block north of the district headquarters town of Diphu. The crash site is three hours away from the nearest roadhead at Chowkihola, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Diphu. Residents of nearby villages reported hearing loud explosions as the flame-engulfed plane hurtled down a hillside. Debris was scattered over a large area. The Indian Air Force issued a message on Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed condolences for the victims. “Their courage and service to the country will always be remembered with pride and gratitude,” Singh said.This is the second fatal Su-30MKI crash in the Northeast in eight years. On May 23, 2017, Lieutenant D Pankaj and Lieutenant S Achudev, who were taking off from Salonibari Air Force Base in Tezpur on a routine training mission, lost radar and radio contact near Doulasang in Arunachal Pradesh, close to the Chinese border. Their bodies were found eight days after the accident.Since the Su-30MKI aircraft joined the Indian Air Force fleet in 2002, there have been 13 crashes in India, four of which occurred in the northeast. The Indian Air Force has three Su-30MKI bases in the region – Salonibari (Tezpur), Chhabua (Dibrugarh) and Jorhat – with four squadrons between them, all within 150 to 250 kilometers of the Chinese border.Lieutenant Duragkar’s father said his son joined the Indian Air Force four years ago and little did he expect to be a part of a historic moment like Opu Sindoor so early in his career. “He would say, ‘Hamari Air Force chahti toh Pakistan ka naam-o-nishan mita deti (Our air force could have destroyed the enemy if he had wanted to).” My son died for his country. I hope he lives longer and serves the Indian Air Force and the country. “The whole family was together the last time we met. Lieutenant Dulagkar’s sister Sayali, who lives in the United States, came to Nagpur to attend the party.Defense officials said the Indian Air Force has not formally mentioned Lieutenant Dulagkar’s involvement in Operation Sindoor under operational norms involving national security.Lieutenant Vashish’s father, Anand Kumar Vashish, traveled to Assam on Friday to take his son home for the last time. The pilot’s brother Manoj, who lives in the UK, is expected to attend the funeral on Saturday in his hometown Kaklana village in Rohtak, Haryana.A relative of Lieutenant Vashisht said he joined the Indian Air Force about a decade ago and was inspired by his father, who served as an adjutant in the Army. A colleague told TOI: “He was passionate about flying but somewhat introverted and was an excellent officer.”
