Kerala CM pays tribute to IAF pilot killed in Sukhoi jet crash

The body of Flight Lieutenant Achudev S, one of the two pilots killed in the Sukhoi jet crash near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, was brought to Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

A special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft brought the body which was kept at Achudev's home in Pongummoodu for the public to pay their respects. The body will be taken to Achudev's family home in Kozhikode for the last rites, on Saturday.

Achudev's father V P Sahadevan, a retired ISRO employee and native of Kozhikode, lives in Thiruvananthapuram with his wife Jayashree.

Achudev (25) and Squadron Leader Devesh Pankaj died



in the crash that occurred about 60 km from the Tezpur Airbase, on May 23. Three days later, the wreckage of the Sukhoi-30 jet was found in a forest region of Arunachal Pradesh. 

The IAF stated that the pilots could not initiate ejection before the crash. The jet had taken off the Tezpur Airbase at 10.30 am on May 23; about 40 minutes later, it went off the radar.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former chief minister Oommen Chandy and Senior Air Staff Officer at the Southern Air Command Headquarters Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva were among those who paid their respects to the departed IAF pilot on Friday.