Group Captain Varun Singh, who was on board the ill-fated Mi-17 helicopter that crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu last week, succumbed to his injuries this morning, the Indian Air Force has said.
“IAF is deeply saddened to inform the passing away of braveheart Group Captain Varun Singh, who succumbed this morning to the injuries sustained in the helicopter accident on 08 Dec 21. IAF offers sincere condolences and stands firmly with the bereaved family,” read the statement issued by the Air Force.
Group Captain Varun Singh was pulled out of the wreckage of Mi-17 helicopter last Wednesday, the only survivor of the tragic crash in which General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 others lost their lives. A pilot in LCA squadron and a decorated officer, Group Captain Singh was on board the Russian-made chopper as the liaison officer for the visit of General Rawat to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
He was receiving treatment at Command Hospital in Bengaluru. Official sources in Coimbatore had earlier said that his condition was critical but stable and Singh had undergone three operations so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express condolences on the Air Force officer’s passing. “Group Captain Varun Singh served the nation with pride, valour and utmost professionalism. I am extremely anguished by his passing away. His rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” PM Modi tweeted.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “pained beyond words to learn of the demise of IAF pilot, Group Captain Varun Singh. He was a true fighter who fought till his last breath. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends. We stand firmly with the family, in this hour of grief.”
Chief of Army Staff MM Naravane and all ranks of the Indian Army paid heartfelt condolences on the demise of Group Captain Varun Singh, the official Twitter handle of the army said.
In August, Group Captain Varun Singh was conferred with the Shaurya Chakra for averting a possible mid-air accident after his Tejas light combat aircraft suffered a major technical glitch last year. On September 18, he wrote an inspiring letter to the principal of his alma mater, Army Public school in Chandimandir, reflecting on his life as a student.
He belonged to a family of defence personnel spanning across the three services. While Group Captain Varun Singh was in the Indian Air Force (IAF), his father, Colonel (retd.) KP Singh, was an Army personnel from the regiment of Army Air Defence (AAD). Colonel KP Singh’s son and Group Captain Varun Singh’s brother, Lieutenant Commander Tanuj Singh, is an officer in the Indian Navy.