Last rites of IAF officer Vashisht killed incopter crash carried out

Chandigarh: The last rites of of Squadron Leader Siddharth Vashisht, who died in a helicopter crash in J&K's Budgam district, were performed here on Friday with full military honours.

The mortal remains of the officer had arrived at the Air Force station here on a service aircraft on Thursday. It was taken to the cremation ground from his residence here in Sector 44 on a bedecked IAF vehicle. In uniform, the deceased officer's wife, Aarti, who is also a squadron leader, laid a wreath before the last rites were performed. Siddharth Vashisht's father lit the funeral pyre.

The Indian Air Force gave a gun salute in presence of officials from the IAF, the civil administration and a large number of people who turned up to pay their last respects.

Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon and Haryana Minister Naib Saini were also present there. Vashisht (31) was a fourth-generation member from his family in the armed forces. He was commissioned in the IAF in 2010 and last month, he received commendation for his role in the rescue operation during the Kerala floods. An IAF helicopter crashed in Budgam district of J&K Wednesday, killing both its pilots and four others onboard.