Martyr Lt Col VVB Reddy's mortal remains reach Telangana

The mortal remains of Lt Colonel VVB Reddy, who was among the two pilots killed when a Cheetah helicopter of the Army crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, arrived at the Begumpet Air Force Station on Friday night.

Homage was paid to Reddy with full military honours while Brig K Somashankar, Officiating General Officer Commanding, Telangana and Andhra Sub Area laid a wreath on the body, a defence release said.

The body was then was moved to his residence at Malkajgiri here and the funeral is likely to be held on Saturday, it said.

Reddy who hailed from a farmer's family had passed out of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and served in the Army for about 20 years, according to news agency PTI. He is survived by his wife and two daughters Anika Reddy (6) and Harvik Reddy (4). Reddy's wife Spandana is a dental doctor in the Army in Pune. Reddy, in his mid 30s, is a native of Bommala Ramaram village in Yadadri-Bhongir district of Telangana.

Reddy and his co-pilot Major Jayanth A were killed when the helicopter crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday morning.

Defence spokesperson Lt Colonel Mahendra Rawat had said in Guwahati that the helicopter was on an operational sortie from Missamari in Assam's Sonitpur district to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The flight encountered ''inconducive weather'' and was returning to Missamari when it crashed, he had said.

''The helicopter lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) around 9.15 am. Five search parties of the Indian Army, SSB and ITBP were immediately launched. The wreckage of the aircraft was found near Banglajaap east village of Mandala,'' Rawat said.

''A Court of Inquiry is ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,'' he added.