Jaipur: 37-year-old Jaipur pilot Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan was one of the seven individuals who died in the unfortunate helicopter crash near Gaurikund last Saturday morning. The helicopter crashed while on its way from Kedarnath to Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
Lt Col (ret) Rajveer had just returned to work, only 20 days ago, after spending time with his family and four-month-old twins. His father Govind Chauhan said that the family had been making arrangements for a traditional jalwa pujan, a Rajasthani ceremony for newborns, which was to take place on June 30.
“Rajveer had become a father after 14 years of wedding. We were planning to host a jalwa pujan for Rajveer’s four-month-old twin babies. But now, all is over,” he said, with tears in his eyes.
Having spent 14 years in the Indian Air Force, Rajveer retired last year and went to work for a private helicopter organization in Dehradun in October of last year. Govind remembered taking a call from Rajveer’s friend, Lieutenant VK Singh, who told the family about the crash that had taken place just minutes before the chopper was to land.
“Rajveer came back to Dehradun just 20 days ago after a brief vacation at home. Who would have imagined that he would not return,” said Govind, grieving over his son’s premature death.
Others who lost their lives in the accident included Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), Shradha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35), and their 23-month-old son Kashi from Maharashtra; Vikram (46) from Rudraprayag; and Vinod Dev (66) and Tusti Singh (29) from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
In response to the unfortunate accident, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma condoled: “The death of a pilot from Rajasthan and other pilgrims in a helicopter crash at Kedarnath is very saddening. God may provide a place to the departed souls in his shelter and give strength to the grieving family to endure this jolt.”
Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Youth Affairs Minister, also expressed his grief on X, saying: “The passing away of Jaipur’s Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan ji, the pilot in the helicopter accident while proceeding to Kedarnath, is very pained. The whole state stands with the Chauhan family in this moment of sorrow.”
This accident is the fifth helicopter-related accident on the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit in under 40 days, sparking increasing concerns about aviation safety in the area.
