Agra: Indian Air Force (IAF) Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, 30, who died in the An-32 plane crash in Assam’s Jorhat, was cremated with full military honours in his native Salpur village in Aligarh district on Monday. His mother, Radheshwari Devi, 72, was informed about his death nearly 50 hours after the incident.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials, villagers and local public representatives. State minister Surender Diler, local MP Satish Gautam and district officials paid their last respects.
Jitendra, the youngest among seven siblings, is survived by his mother and two elder brothers, Ramakant Sharma and Bhupendra Sharma. His father, Kali Charan Sharma, died 11 years ago. He joined the Indian Air Force in 2015. His cousin, Pawan Sharma, said Jitendra had recently returned to the village on leave before resuming duty on June 5, and preparations for his wedding were expected to begin soon.
Earlier in the day, his mortal remains were brought to Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad before being taken to his native village for the final rites. Five IAF personnel were killed after an An-32 transport aircraft crashed during a “routine sortie” in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday.
