Last rites of 2 IAF officers killed in J&K chopper crash performed

The last rites of Squadron Leader Siddharth Vashisht and Sergeant Vikrant Sehrawat, who died in a chopper crash in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district, were performed with full military honours at their home towns on Friday.

Vashisht's (31) last rites were performed in Chandigarh. The Indian Air Force gave a gun salute in the presence of officials from the IAF, the civil administration and a large number of people who turned up to pay their last respects.

In uniform, the deceased officer's wife, Aarti, who is also a squadron leader, laid a wreath on Vashisht before the last rites were performed. His father lit the funeral pyre.

The mortal remains of the officer had arrived at the Air Force station here on a service aircraft on Thursday. It was taken to the cremation ground from his residence here in Sector 44 on a bedecked IAF vehicle.

Chandigarh BJP President Sanjay Tandon and Haryana Minister Naib Saini were also present at the funeral ceremony.

Vashisht, whose family had settled in Chandigarh, was commissioned in the IAF in 2010. Last month, he was given commendation for his role in the rescue operation during the Kerala floods. He was a fourth-generation member from his family in the armed forces.

Last July, the officer, who also has three elder sisters, was posted in Srinagar.

Vikrant Sehrawat's last rites were performed in Bhadani village in Jhajjar district in Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who attended the ceremony, said the state government would provide ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the deceased's family and government job to one of his family members.

Khattar paid rich tributes to Sehrawat and had earlier laid a wreath on his mortal remains.

An IAF helicopter crashed in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday, killing both its pilots and four others onboard besides a local resident.