Celebration Turned Into Tragedy: IAF Pilot Killed In Su-30 Crash Was Soon To Get Married

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 08:31 IST

Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht, soon to be married, died in a Su-30 MKI crash in Assam. His family, unaware, was preparing for his wedding.

Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht was soon to get married. Like many Indian families, his family was busy preparing for their son’s big day. Then came a call that turned their whole world upside down.

On the other end of the call was an Indian Air Force (IAF) official who informed Anuj’s family that he was killed in the Su-30 MKI crash in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.

Soon after they received the information, some members left for Assam, according to Chandra Prakash, a relative of the family, as quoted by NDTV.

Anuj’s mother, meanwhile, has been kept in oblivion about her son’s death. She has been told that her son sustained injuries in the crash, said the relative.

According to the report, Anuj was a native of Haryana’s Bhiwani district. He is survived by his parents — Subedar (retd) Anand Prakash and Anita Devi — and a younger brother.

“Anuj completed his early education from Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sector 14, Gurugram, and subsequently joined the Indian Air Force. His family was preparing for his wedding and his fiance is also a pilot," Prakash said.

Su-30 MKI Crash

In a post on ‘X’, the IAF confirmed the deaths of Anuj Vashisht and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar on Friday. The Su-30 MKI was on a training mission. Soon after taking off from Jorhat airbase, it went missing and disappeared from the radar.

It crashed in a remote hilly area. Locals reported having heard loud explosion and seen a plume of smoke rising from the site.

Rajnath Singh Pays Tribute

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the incident and paid condolences to the families of the pilots who were killed in the jet crash.

“Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude," he wrote in a post on ‘X’.

News india Celebration Turned Into Tragedy: IAF Pilot Killed In Su-30 Crash Was Soon To Get Married

Read More