Sonepat mourns loss

Our Correspondent

Sonepat, June 21

Leading Air Craftsman Pankaj Sangwan (22), who lost his life in the crash of AN-32 aircraft, was consigned to flames at his native village Kohla in the district with full military honours on Friday.

With prayers on their mouths and tears in their eyes, members of the family and villagers paid tributes to the departed soul.

Sonepat MP Ramesh Kaushik, Haryana Backward Classes Welfare Nigam chairman Ram Chander Jangra, Chief Minister’s media adviser Rajiv Jain, district BJP president Dharambir Nandal, Sub-divisional Magistrate Ashish Vashisht and Gohana DSP Hans Raj laid wreaths on the body.

Pankaj had joined the Air Force in July 2015 as an Airman. After his training in Bengaluru, he got his first posting at Jorhat Air Force station in Assam. After celebrating Holi in the village, he joined duty in March with the plan to return on a month’s leave on June 28. But that was not to be. He was the only child of his parents.