Fighter aircraft crash case in Madhya Pradesh; Funeral of a soldier in Belgaum.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) government conducted the cremation of Wing Commander Hanumanta Rao Sarathi, who died in the crash in Agasa, at Benakanahalli in Belagavi taluk of Karnataka on Sunday evening with full military and administrative honours.
Sarathi’s body was brought by IAF officers in a special flight which reached Belgaum around 12.30 pm on Sunday. Hundreds including army officers, IAF, defense personnel and elected representatives paid their last respects to the departed pilot.
Two IAF fighter jets – Sukhoi-30 and Mirage-2000 – crashed during a routine training exercise in Pahadgarh area of Morena in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, killing one pilot.
While the two pilots of the Sukhoi-30MKI ejected safely, Wing Commander Sarathi, who was piloting the Mirage-2000, lost his life in the crash.Wing Commander Hanumanta Rao Sarathi was born on 28 October 1987. Sarathy completed her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Belgaum. Joined the National Defense Academy. There he excelled with a gold medal. He joined the Indian Air Force in 2009. He was 35 years old. He is survived by his wife, a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.
An IAF officer also comes from a defense background. Sarathi’s elder brother Praveen Sarathi is a Group Captain and pilot in the IAF, while his father Revanasiddaiah Sarathi retired as a Group Captain in the Army.
Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, Belgaum Rural Congress MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar visited Wing Commander Sarathi’s house on Saturday night and condoled with the family members.
The accident has once again put the spotlight on India’s longest-running fighter jet, its safety record and the IAF’s plans to replace the aging jets with newer ones in the coming years.
Accident at Agasa caused the fall. However, the IAF has started an investigation to confirm this. This is the fifth accident involving a Bison jet this year. The Bison is the latest variant of the Mig-21 in IAF service. The IAF maintains four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft – a squadron has 16 to 18 fighter jets.
