Odisha bids adieu to IAF officer Rana Pratap Das killed in Coonoor chopper crash

Angul: Mortal remains of the Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Rana Pratap Das were consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village in Angul district today evening.

In presence of family members, officials of the IAF and hundreds of people, Rana Pratap’s moral remains were consigned to flames at a crematorium at his native Krushnachandrapur village.

Gun salute was given by the armed forces personnel to Tricolour-wrapped Rana Pratap at the crematorium. The ‘Rana Pratap Amar Rahe’ chant also reverberated the area.

Political leaders cutting across party lines along with the hundreds of people were present at the crematorium.

Earlier in the day, the moral remains of Rana Pratap were brought to the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar from New Delhi. Rana Pratap’s body was then carried in a special vehicle in a procession to the 120 Battalion premises.

A Guard of Honour was given to the mortal remains followed by a homage by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, DGP, senior armed forces personnel and political leaders. The body was then taken in an ambulance escorted by armed forces vehicle and district police to Krushnachandrapur village where the cremation was done.

Rana Pratap Das, who was a junior warrant officer in the IAF, was killed in the military chopper crash in a forest area near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8. A total of 13 persons including CDS General Bipin Rawat were onboard the chopper and were killed in the crash.

Rana Pratap is survived by wife and one-year-old son.