Jaipur, July 10 (IANS) Flight Lieutenant Rishiraj Singh Devda (23), who was martyred in the Jaguar fighter jet crash in Churu, was cremated with full military honours on Thursday evening in his native village, Khiwandi (Pali).

An emotional farewell was held in the presence of Air Force personnel, family members, and villagers. The martyr’s mortal remains arrived in the village at around 6:10 PM.

Before the funeral, the body was placed in the courtyard of his house for the final darshan. Hundreds of villagers and people from nearby areas gathered to pay floral tributes.

A Tiranga Yatra was taken out, with Air Force personnel leading the procession and villagers following behind, chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Rishiraj Amar Rahe.”

Rishiraj’s father, Jaswant Singh, broke down during the last rites.

The Air Force presented a guard of honour, and officials, including Colonel D.S. Sisodia, handed over the national flag and a framed photograph of the martyr to the family.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat paid tribute to the martyr at Jodhpur airport and later consoled the grieving family.

The body was airlifted to Sirohi and then brought by road to Khiwandi. Public representatives, including Minister Joraram Kumawat, Bali MLA Pushpendra Singh Ranawat, and former MP Pushp Jain, also paid their respects.

The martyr’s uncle, Hitpal Singh, raised serious concerns about the use of old fighter aircraft, questioning why newly trained pilots are being assigned ageing jets.

“Our brightest sons are being lost due to outdated machines,” he said.

The Jaguar jet had crashed in Churu’s Rajaldesar area at 12:40 PM on July 9, killing both pilots – Wing Commander Lokendra Singh Sindhu (44) of Rohtak, Haryana, and Flight Lieutenant Devda.

A Court of Inquiry has been constituted, and a search operation, including drone surveillance, is underway to recover the aircraft’s black box.

Debris is scattered over a large area, and security personnel from several police stations have been deployed at the crash site.

–IANS

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