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This is an archive article published on December 23, 2015
BSF plane crash: Family speak up, a train ride never taken and many unanswered questions
Family members of the deceased BSF personnel will gather at Safdarjang Airport Wednesday for an event to pay tribute to them.
Security staff, NDRF personnel and bystanders at the crash site near Palam Airport. (Source: Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
It was a last-minute change in plans that made seven technicians of the Border Security Force (BSF), who were on their way to Ranchi Tuesday morning for an assignment, take the ill-fated VT BSA Superking plane. Initially, they were supposed to take the train but the night before the trip, they were informed by BSF officials that they would be taking the plane instead.
“On Sunday night, Surender told me that he was going for an assignment to Ranchi by train. However, on Monday night, he said he was going to take a BSF plane instead,” said Dalip Singh Rana, brother-in-law of sub inspector Surender Singh Lingwal.
Lingwal was one of the 10 people killed when the BSF aircraft, carrying engineers and technicians from the force’s air wing, crashed near Palam Airport on Tuesday morning.Lingwal is survived by his wife and two young sons. Members of his immediate family were in no state to talk, said Rana, adding, “I keep thinking what would have happened had he taken the train”.
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The moment he heard about the crash, Anoop Kumar tried to call his uncle Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt, a pilot with the BSF’s air wing who was commanding the plane. “I called him twice, but his number was not reachable. I called my aunt… she was crying and she told me that he was on that plane,” said Anoop.
“Who can change what fate has in store for us… but we should question the way he died,” he added.
Bhatt is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Anoop claimed that a few of Bhatt’s colleagues had told him that the plane had crashed due to a technical snag. “We were told that after he started the engine, he realised that there was some glitch and asked for assistance. Later, after inspection, the plane was declared fit. Five minutes after it took off, there was a crash.”
Neeraj Kumar, brother of BSF Deputy Commandant Dhirendra Kumar, was angry and wanted to know who to blame for the accident.“It was his job… he used to fly regularly to different states. Suddenly, an accident happens… who should I blame? Should I blame the weather or the machine…,” said Kumar. Dhirendra had joined the BSF after taking voluntary retirement from the Air Force. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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Family members of BSF Sub-Inspector Chote Lal Sharma are yet to tell his wife about his death. “His wife knows about the accident, but we haven’t told her that her husband was killed. She is very sensitive… we are waiting for the right time to tell her,” said Hemant Sharma, his brother.
Family members of the deceased BSF personnel will gather at Safdarjang Airport Wednesday for an event to pay tribute to them. The event will also be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
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