Madurai: The last rites of Maj. A Jayanth who was killed in an Army helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh was being carried out at his native Theni district on Satuday. The body was flown to his native district where the cortege was preserved at the Government Rajaji Hospital for the funeral.
The special army plane also carried the mortal remains of Lt Col. VVB Reddy who piloted the ill-fated Cheetah helicopter was delivered to his family at Hyderabad before the flight reached Madurai in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.
Madurai District Collector Aneesh Sekhar, City Police Commissioner Narenthiran Nayar, and District Superintendent of Police R Siva Prasad received the cortege along with Jayantha's father Arumugam. The officials then paid their respects by laying wreaths to cortege before it was shifted to the morgue for preserving it till the funeral.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin who condoled the death of Maj. A Jayanth also offered his sympathies to the colleagues, family, and friends. The CM expressed his shock and anguish over Jayanth's death. "On behalf of the government of Tamil Nadu, I extend my condolences and sympathies to his colleagues, family, friends and the people of the country," the CM said, in a statement.
Jayanth was the co-pilot of the Army's Cheetah helicopter which was on an operational sortie from Missamari in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district on March 16. The Army has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident. The mortal remnants of Lt Col. Reddy was taken by road to his native Telangana's Yadadri from Hyderabad for the last rites.
