Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh, who died in IAF Jaguar crash, loved fighter jets, wanted to become combat pilot

India lost Squadron Leader Lokender and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh when an Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Churu in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

 

Flight Lieutenant Singh, who was just 23 years old when he tragically died in the crash, was fascinated by fighter planes from childhood. He dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot one day.

 

"He (Flight Lieutenant SinghSingh) was brilliant in studies, and after completing his schooling from Jodhpur, he appeared in the entrance examination for NDA. After selection, he went on to join NDA in Pune and chose the Air Force to realise his dream to become a flyer," Pratap Singh, a family member, told reporters on Thursday.

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Rishi Raj Singh is survived by his father Jaswant Singh, a hotelier; his mother Bhanwar Kanwar, a homemaker; and his younger brother, Yuvraj Singh, who is pursuing his senior secondary education in Jodhpur.

 

"He was the pride of our family. With his career firmly in place, we had begun preparing for the next chapter of his life, hoping to see him married within a year or two. But now, everything has come to an end," said his uncle Hitpal Singh. 

 

The mortal remains of Flight Lieutenant Singh were cremated at his ancestral village in Rajasthan's Pali district on Thursday evening amid full military honours and slogans.

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