An-32 crash: Proud that he saved co-pilot, says sister of slain pilot Prashant Singh

DEHRADUN: Grief hovered like a sombre cloud over Selaqui, a Doon suburb that squadron leader Prashant Singh called home, on Sunday. A day after Prashant died in the An-32 crash at Assam's Jorhat along with four others, his sister Nivedita said she was proud that her brother, in his final moments, had ensured his co-pilot's survival.

Nivedita's husband is a serving Army officer.The house that Prashant had built around four years ago, where he planned to live with his wife Aishwarya and parents in future, saw people pouring in from different parts of the country on Sunday.When the officer's body arrived in a coffin in the evening, his mother was inconsolable. His father stood by silently, in a state of profound shock.Prashant's mother, Brijesh Devi, is a cancer survivor. She underwent surgery last year.

His father, Umesh Singh, had served in the Army before venturing into business post-retirement.Prashant did his schooling in Dehradun and went on to study electrical and communication engineering at THDC-Institute of Hydropower Engineering and Technology (IHET), Tehri."He got placed in a multinational company, but was always interested in serving the country. So he opted to join the Air Force," Nivedita said.Sharing memories of their childhood, Prashant's cousin Anurag Tomar, who serves in the BSF and is posted in Tripura, said: "Prashant had a deep love for books and learning.

Even as a child, he was calm, thoughtful and mature."Pinky Malik, a neighbour who knew the family well, said Prashant's mother had not celebrated her birthday after he joined the services in 2020."His mother would say 'How can I celebrate when my son is serving the country at the border? Every moment of a pilot's life is fraught with risk'," she said.The Air Force officer was cremated with full military honours late Sunday evening.