Group Captain Varun Singh
Highlights
- IAF Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor in the Mi-17V5 chopper crash
- Rajnath Singh said efforts are being made to save the IAF officer
- Group Captain Varun Singh is the recipient of the Shaurya Chakra
IAF's Group Captain Varun Singh is the sole survivor of the helicopter crash that took place on Wednesday. There were 14 people on board the IAF's helicopter when it crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor.
The occupants included Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and top defence officials. Barring Group Captain Varun Singh, the remaining 13 lost their lives in the tragic incident.
According to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in the Parliament, Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support at Wellington Military hospital and all efforts are being made to save him.
According to reports, he has suffered severe burns and is currently being treated. The next 48-72 hours are very crucial for him.
Who is Group Captain Varun Singh?
Group Captain Varun Singh is the Shaurya Chakra awardee. He had won the gallantry award for showing courage by handling his Tejas fighter jet after it faced a major technical issue during his sortie in October 2020. He successfully landed the Tejas aircraft despite losing control of the fighter jet due to multiple technical failures.
He hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria. He comes from a family of army and politicians. His father Colonel KP Singh retired from Army as a colonel and his uncle Akhilesh Pratap Singh is a Congress leader.
Group Captain Varun Singh was accompanying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat as a liaison officer.
READ MORE: IAF helicopter crash: Lone survivor Group Captain Varun Singh on life support
