Military honours 21-gun salute for pilot killed in Air Force plane crash

Nashik: The funeral of pilot Ninad Mandavgane, who died in an IAF helicopter crash in Jammu and Kashmir two days back, was held with full military honours in Nashik on Friday. The pilot was also given a 21-gun salute.

Ninad Mandavgane (33) was cremated on the banks of Godavari. He and and six others died on Wednesday in an IAF chopper crash in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district. A civilian was also killed in the crash.

The pilot's body was brought to Ojhar airport from New Delhi by a special IAF plane on Thursday night. Air Force officials, including Air Commodore Samir Borade, commanding officer of the IAF Station Ojhar, and Nashik Collector Radhakrishna B, paid tribute to the pilot there. The body was later taken to Nashik.

A large number of people gathered at the crematorium to pay respects to the pilot. When the body was brought to the crematorium around noon, people present there raised slogans of ''Vande Mataram'' and ''Bharat Mata Ki Jai''.

Ninad Mandavgane's has left behind his father, wife and their two-year-old daughter.

Before joining the IAF, Ninad Mandavgane studied at the Bhonsala Military School in Nashik, Services Preparatory Institute (SPI) in Aurangabad and the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune.