2 IAF officers killed as Sukhoi on training mission crashes in Assam

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he is “deeply saddened” by the deaths of IAF officers in the “tragic Su-30 crash”.

“Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” he said on social media.

Friends and relatives of Squadron Leader Anuj gathered at the family’s three-storey house in Gurgaon’s Sector 22B. They said the mother of the 33-year-old doesn’t know he died in the Sukhoi crash.

“She [Anuj’s mother] was only told that her son’s jet crashed yesterday and he escaped with the help of a parachute but was injured,” said a man, claiming to be a close friend of the family.

“His father and mine were like brothers, and so were we. I last spoke to him during Holi, he described how he was celebrating the festival with his Air Force colleagues at the station there. I did not know it would be our last conversation. He was posted in Assam for about seven months. The family has been living here [in Gurgaon] for decades,” the friend said.

He said Anuj’s father, Anand Kumar, left for Jorhat by road after flying to Guwahati Friday morning. His younger brother flew in from London in the afternoon. Chander Prakash, Anuj’s maternal uncle and a retired Haryana Police Inspector, said his nephew had joined the IAF about 10 years ago.

“He had done his B.Tech from a nearby college and joined TCS as well, but soon got into the Air Force. The family had started thinking of getting him married… they wanted to find a match in the coming months and have the wedding later this year,” he said.

Anuj’s body is expected to arrive at the family home for the last rites on Saturday.

In Nagpur, Flt Lt Purvesh’s family struggled to come to terms with the news of his death. Three years ago, the Duragkar family had organised a “Swapnapurti Sohla” — a celebration of dreams fulfilled.

Their son Purvesh had been selected in the IAF and was on his way to becoming a fighter pilot, his long cherished dream. Their daughter Sayali had secured admission to IIT Bombay. Relatives, friends and well-wishers had gathered to celebrate the moment with the family.

On Thursday, the same house fell silent as neighbours, relatives and friends arrived to console the family.

Purvesh’s father, Ravindra Duragkar, tried to maintain composure, but his mother, Sandhya, was inconsolable. “She keeps saying that her son will return, that he is on his way home,” a relative said. Purvesh’s sister, who lives in the US, is arranging to return to Nagpur, the relative said.

Ravindra Duragkar said his son had also been a part of Operation Sindoor. “During that period we did not even know where he was. We were not in touch with him.”

He said the family learnt of his death early Friday morning. “His Group Captain spoke to us around 7.50 am and informed us that he is no more,” the father said.

Purvesh was deeply passionate about flying and often spoke to his family about his work. “He used to tell us that the Sukhoi-30 plays a vital role in the country’s security,” Ravindra said.

Purvesh had been commissioned into the Indian Air Force on December 7, 2022. He joined the IAF through the AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) entry and underwent training in Hyderabad. He spent six months in Bidar for advanced flying training before being posted to Tezpur in Assam.

At the time of the crash, he was flying sorties from Jorhat as runway work was underway at the Tezpur base, his father said.

Family members said Purvesh dreamt of becoming a pilot since he was a child. “Whenever he heard the sound of an aircraft, he would run to the terrace to watch it,” said his aunt Kokila Duragkar. “He used to say, ‘I want to fly in the sky’.”

“He fulfilled his dream through his own hard work. We never imagined that such sorrow would be hidden behind his dream,” she said, adding “He was home just eight days ago. His sister had come from the US and the house felt lively. Now the joy of this home is gone.”