In a heartbreaking twist of fate, Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot who lost his life in the Kedarnath helicopter crash on Sunday, died on Father’s Day—just months after becoming a father to newborn twins.
The 37-year-old retired Lieutenant Colonel from Jaipur had returned to duty barely 20 days earlier after spending time with his wife, a serving officer in the Indian Army, and their four-month-old babies. The couple had welcomed the twins after 14 years of marriage.
Rajveer had been eagerly preparing to celebrate a traditional Rajasthani "jalwa pujan" ceremony for his children on June 30. “He was full of excitement. We had been planning the ceremony for months, but now everything is shattered,” said his father, Govind Chauhan, grieving the devastating loss.
Rajveer was flying a Kedarnath-bound Bell 407 chopper operated by Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd when it crashed near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Sunday morning. All seven onboard, including Rajveer, were killed. The crash occurred during the return flight to Guptkashi after taking off from the Kedarnath shrine at 5:19 am.
Originally from Jaipur, Rajveer had served in the Indian Army for over 14 years before retiring in 2023. He joined Aryan Aviation in October 2024 and had extensive flying experience across various terrains.
The other victims of the crash included a family from Maharashtra—Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), his wife Shradha (35), and their 23-month-old daughter Kashi—along with three other pilgrims: Vikram (46) from Rudraprayag, Vinod Dev (66), and Tusti Singh (29) from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor.
Officials suspect that poor weather conditions contributed to the crash. The incident has prompted the suspension of helicopter services in the region and raised serious questions about aviation safety during the Char Dham Yatra. This was the fifth chopper-related incident on the pilgrimage route in just over a month.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore expressed deep condolences, calling Rajveer’s untimely death a tragic loss for the state and the nation.
Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said, “The news of the death of a pilot from Rajasthan and other devotees due to a helicopter crash in Kedarnath is extremely disheartening. May God grant a place to the departed souls in his shelter and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this blow.”
Youth Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh also wrote on X, “The untimely death of Jaipur’s Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rajveer Singh Chauhan ji, the pilot in the helicopter crash while going to Kedarnath, is extremely painful. The entire state is with the Chauhan family in this hour of grief.”
On a day meant to celebrate fatherhood, Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan’s death serves as a haunting reminder of the fragile line between duty and tragedy.
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