Rohtak IAF pilot killed in Raj Jaguar crash had become a father last month
Lokender came from a family with deep ties to the armed forces. His sister Anshi recently completed her tenure as a short service commissioned officer in the IAF, and her husband is a serving Wing Commander.
Squadron Leader Lokender Singh Sindhu, one of the two Indian Air Force pilots who lost their lives in Wednesday’s Jaguar fighter jet crash near Churu, Rajasthan, had recently become a father. The 32-year-old pilot had rejoined duty on June 30, just weeks after the birth of his son on June 10.
Sindhu, a native of Kheri Sadh village in Haryana’s Rohtak district, was married to Surbhi Sindhu, a PhD scholar. She had gone to her parental home in Hisar for the delivery. Still at her maternal home, she received the devastating news of her husband’s death while he was on a routine training mission.
The crash has cast a pall of gloom over Rohtak’s Dev Colony, where Lokender’s family resides. His father, Joginder Singh, a retired superintendent from Maharshi Dayanand University, and his mother, a retired school teacher, are grief-stricken yet proud of his sacrifice. His elder brother, Gyanendra, works with a multinational company.
Lokender came from a family with deep ties to the armed forces. His sister Anshi recently completed her tenure as a short service commissioned officer in the IAF, and her husband is a serving Wing Commander.
Before taking off for his final mission, Lokender called his father in the morning. He had also shared pictures of his newborn son with the family in their WhatsApp group.
{{/usCountry}}Before taking off for his final mission, Lokender called his father in the morning. He had also shared pictures of his newborn son with the family in their WhatsApp group.
{{/usCountry}}“He was married on November 25, 2020, and joined the Air Force after clearing the NDA in his first attempt in 2010. Commissioned in 2015, he had sharp flying skills and trained many young pilots. He was giving co-pilot training when the accident happened,” said Gyanendra.
{{/usCountry}}“He was married on November 25, 2020, and joined the Air Force after clearing the NDA in his first attempt in 2010. Commissioned in 2015, he had sharp flying skills and trained many young pilots. He was giving co-pilot training when the accident happened,” said Gyanendra.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about the crash, Gyanendra said the Jaguar had dropped to an altitude of 500 feet, and the pilots tried to steer away from a village, prioritising civilian lives over their own.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about the crash, Gyanendra said the Jaguar had dropped to an altitude of 500 feet, and the pilots tried to steer away from a village, prioritising civilian lives over their own.
{{/usCountry}}“Lokender had earlier saved his life in a dangerous situation when the aircraft’s canopy flew off mid-air. He landed it safely. He was an experienced single-seater Jaguar pilot,” Gyanendra added.
{{/usCountry}}“Lokender had earlier saved his life in a dangerous situation when the aircraft’s canopy flew off mid-air. He landed it safely. He was an experienced single-seater Jaguar pilot,” Gyanendra added.
{{/usCountry}}His grandfather, Balwan Singh, recalled taking Lokender to a brigadier after he passed Class 12. The officer, impressed by the young man’s potential, predicted he would clear the NDA exam. “He never liked conflict. Once, during school, he got hit by a stick but refused to retaliate. That was his nature—calm, focused, and compassionate,” he said.
The pilot completed his schooling from the MDU campus school and joined the IAF in 2011.
His funeral was held with full state honours in Rohtak, where hundreds gathered to pay tribute, chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Lokender Amar Rahe.”
Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh from Rajasthan’s Pali district also died in the crash. This is the third Jaguar crash since March. The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause.
