Siddharth Yadav, who died in a Jaguar jet crash, had recently come home on leave and got engaged on March 23. He had gone back to join duty on March 31.
Indian Air Force flight lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, who died in a Jaguar jet crash in Gujarat’s Jamnagar on April 3, was cremated with full military honours in his native village Bhalkhi Majra, Haryana, on Friday.
An emotional farewell was witnessed as villagers and family members paid their last respects. Heartbreaking scenes unfolded when Siddharth Yadav’s fiancée, Saniya, broke down beside the coffin, repeatedly pleading, “Just let me see his face one more time”, Amar Ujala reported.
In a video, which has gone viral on social media, the fiancée is purportedly heard saying in Hindi, “Baby, you didn’t come to take me… you promised you would.” Her words pierced through the hearts of everyone present, leaving the entire gathering in tears.
Saniya and Siddharth had got engaged on March 23, and their wedding was scheduled for November 2. Siddharth lost his life in the Jaguar fighter aircraft crash in Gujarat on April 3 night.
As Siddharth’s mortal remains reached the village, a large number of people gathered for the funeral procession. His mother fainted from grief upon seeing his body. In a symbolic gesture, Air Force officers placed Siddharth’s cap on her head and handed over his photograph.
His father, Sushil Yadav, a former Air Force personnel, said, “My dream was to see him return as Chief of Air Staff. Every Air Force father has that dream. Preparations were on for his wedding.”
Former Haryana minister Banwari Lal, BJP MLA from Bawal in Rewari district, Krishan Kumar, thousands of locals, IAF officers, members of the armed forces, police officers, gathered to salute the IAF officer as his family members bid a tearful adieu.
Siddharth’s parents served in Indian forces as well
Siddharth was the eldest of two siblings and hailed from a family with deep military roots. His great-grandfather had served in the Bengal Engineers during British rule, his grandfather in the paramilitary forces, and his father in the Indian Air Force. Currently, Sushil Yadav works with LIC and had built a house in Sector-18, Rewari, where the wedding was to be held.
Who was Siddharth Yadav?
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- Siddharth cleared the NDA exam in 2016 and joined the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot after three years of training.
- The flight lieutenant had recently come home on leave and got engaged on March 23. He had gone back to join duty on March 31. He was to get married in November, Sachin, a relative, told reporters.
