Mumbai: Air Force to pay tribute to Captain Deepak Sathe
MUMBAI: Captain Deepak Sathe 's Nagpur-based parents, Colonel (Retd) Vasant Sathe and Neela, and his US-based elder son Shantanu reached their Powai residence in Mumbai on Monday for his last rites. On Tuesday, Captain Sathe will be among the few commercial pilots to be paid the final tribute by the Indian Air Force.
Captain Sathe was a former IAF pilot.
The mortal remains of Capt Sathe (58), the commander pilot who lost his life in the ill-fated crash of the Air India Express Dubai-Calicut flight this past Friday, were transported to Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.
"Following the protocol laid down for veterans, an officer of the rank of wing commander along with other IAF personnel will pay tribute to Captain Sathe. They will place a wreath on the coffin and the IAF insignia on behalf of the services," said Commander Mehul Karnik, defence spokesperson. Thereafter, the family will take over the process of cremation. The final rites will be conducted at Evradnagar crematorium in Vikhroli .
The mortal remains of Capt Sathe (58), the commander pilot who lost his life in the ill-fated crash of the Air India Express Dubai-Calicut flight this past Friday, were transported to Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.
"Following the protocol laid down for veterans, an officer of the rank of wing commander along with other IAF personnel will pay tribute to Captain Sathe. They will place a wreath on the coffin and the IAF insignia on behalf of the services," said Commander Mehul Karnik, defence spokesperson. Thereafter, the family will take over the process of cremation. The final rites will be conducted at Evradnagar crematorium in Vikhroli .
Meanwhile, the family requested friends, batchmates and neighbours that they wanted the cremation to be a private affair.
"A small religious ceremony will be conducted for the departed soul by the family at home. On Sunday, wife Sushma Sathe's elderly father and sister arrived from Pune to stay with her. Residents of Nahar Zinnia in Powai where the Sathe family resides have been told not to crowd downstairs in the complex and that they can send their condolence message online," said a family friend. To keep a check on the number of people, the building has posted a Google form among residents, and kept a book for anyone who may want to pass on their condolences to the family, which will be later handed over to Captain Sathe's wife," said a resident.
All building residents have been asked the park their cars outside the complex on Tuesday as some dignitaries are expected.
Pilots and senior officers of Air India paid their respects to Captain Sathe at Gate 5 of the international airport on Sunday. His body was then taken to Bhabha Hospital morgue.
A team from Air India Express will get his body home on Tuesday morning.
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