Bengaluru, Dec. 15: Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Varun Singh, who was rescued after the helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others on December 8, succumbed to injuries on Wednesday.
Last Thursday, Group Captain Singh was shifted to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru from Wellington in Coonoor of Tamil Nadu. Critically injured IAF officer was on life support, according to officials.
With the death of Singh, the tragic chopper crash in Tamil Nadu in which India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat died, has no survivors. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Confirming his death, the Indian Air Force said in its Tweet that, “The 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.”
Group Captain Singh was born to a family of soldiers. He hailed from Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district and his father K. P. Singh has retired as a Colonel from the Indian Army regiment of Air Defence. Singh was always inspired by his father. His mother’s name is Uma Singh. His brother is Lieutenant Commander Tanuj Singh who serves the Indian Navy now. His wife’s name is Geetanjali Singh. He has a son and a daughter.
IAF officer Singh, a decorated soldier, was on board the Russian-made chopper as the liaison officer for the visit of Gen Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, where he is currently posted as an instructor there.
Son of an army officer, Singh was conferred Shaurya Chakra earlier this year for displaying outstanding courage and presence of mind while handling a rare mid-air emergency involving a light combat aircraft (LCA) that he was flying last year.
President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Shaurya Chakra, India’s third-highest peacetime gallantry medal, on Varun Singh on August 15, 2021. He was a wing commander at that time. On October 12, 2020, Singh was flying a test sortie on an LCA when an emergency developed due to the failure of cockpit pressurisation at high altitude.
It was an unprecedented failure. “There was rapid loss of altitude, with the aircraft pitching up and down viciously. Despite being in extreme physical and mental stress in an extreme life-threatening situation, he maintained exemplary composure and regained control of the aircraft, thereby exhibiting exceptional flying skills,” Singh’s citation stated.
“He displayed extraordinary courage and skill to safely land the fighter aircraft. The pilot went beyond the call of duty and landed the aircraft taking calculated risks. This allowed an accurate analysis of the fault on the indigenously designed fighter and further institution of preventive measures against recurrence,” it added.
The citation further added that the aircraft lost altitude rapidly, and even as it was pitching up and down viciously, Group Captain regained control. “This also happened a second time but instead of abandoning the aircraft and ejecting, he chose to bring it under control and land it safely,” his citation stated.
After being awarded Shaurya Chakra, Singh wrote an emotional letter to the principal of his alma mater, Army Public School in Chandimandir, Panchkula, Haryana thanking the school and his teachers for their mentorship in his formative years.
This letter too went viral on social sites, in which Singh said “I credit this prestigious award to all those I have been associated with over the years in school, the National Defence Academy, and thereafter the Indian Air Force, as I firmly believe that my actions that day were a result of the grooming and mentoring by my teachers, instructors and peers over the years.”
He concluded his letter by writing an inspiring message for the schoolchildren. “It is okay to be mediocre… Whatever you work towards, be dedicated, do your best… Never lose hope, never think that you cannot be good at what you want to be,” Singh wrote.
