JAIPUR: Flight Lieutenant Rishiraj Singh Deora (23), who lost his life in the Jaguar fighter jet crash in Churu, was cremated with full military honours in his native village of Khiwandi, Sumerpur (Pali).
The solemn ceremony was attended by senior officials, villagers, ex-servicemen, and school children -- some dressed in army uniforms -- chanting slogans like "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Rishiraj ka naam rahega."
Before the cremation, the grieving family expressed anguish over the use of ageing fighter jets for training purposes. “Why are such old planes given to new and promising pilots?” they questioned. “These children have a bright future ahead, but we are losing them to outdated machines.”
The Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on July 9 at 12:40 pm in Churu’s Rajaldesar area. Both pilots—Wing Commander Lokendra Singh Sindhu (44), a resident of Rohtak (Haryana), and Flight Lieutenant Rishiraj Singh Deora—were martyred in the incident.
Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to be swaying mid-air before crashing into a tree and dragging over 100 meters before catching fire.
“The explosion was so powerful, it felt like a bomb had gone off,” said one villager. “There was panic in the area, and people rushed to the crash site as police and administration were alerted.”
It is believed that the pilots veered the aircraft away from residential areas, possibly sacrificing their own lives to prevent civilian casualties. Due to this, they may not have had time to eject. The black box of the aircraft is yet to be recovered, and a search operation is ongoing. The Indian Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.
Rishiraj Singh Deora hailed from a modest yet proud family in Pali district. His father, Jaswant Singh, runs a hotel business, while his mother, Bhanwar Kanwar, is a homemaker. His younger brother, Yuvraj Singh, is studying in Class 12 in Jodhpur. The news of his martyrdom has left the family devastated.
On Thursday, Rishiraj's mortal remains reached Jodhpur airport, where Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat paid floral tributes and offered condolences to the bereaved family. The body was then airlifted to Sirohi and transported by road to his village.
At the Sirohi airstrip, several dignitaries paid their last respects, including SP Anil Kumar Beniwal, DSP Mukesh Chaudhary, MP Lumbaram Chaudhary, BJP District President Dr Raksha Bhandari, the Sub-Divisional Officer, and local ex-servicemen.
As the martyr's final journey passed through the village, residents lined the roads to bid him farewell. Children waving the tricolour declared their desire to serve the nation, inspired by the sacrifice of Rishiraj Singh Deora.