Achudev’s body brought home

Last rites to be held at his hometown in Kozhikode today

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan consoles the parents of Indian Air Force pilot Late Achudev who died in an air crash. The body was kept for public viewing at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

The body of Flight Lieutenant S. Achudev, who died in the Sukhoi jet crash in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border area on May 23, will be taken to his hometown Kozhikode on Saturday.

The body was brought to the capital on Friday morning by a special Air Force plane around 9.30 a.m. A crowd had gathered at the airport to receive the body.

It was later taken to his home at Sreekariam in the city and kept for public viewing.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid his last respects to the departed soldier at his home at 1 p.m.

Achudev’s body was later moved to the Pangode Military hospital from where it would be flown to Kozhikode on Saturday morning.

The last rites would be held at 3 p.m. in Kozhikode on Saturday, according to the family.

P.V. Sahadevan, Achudev’s father, is a retired scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation and lives in the city with his wife.

Flight Lieutenant Achudev and Squadron Leader D. Pankaj were on board a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet which went missing during a training mission on May 23, in Doulasang area of Arunachal Pradesh. The plane’s wreckage was detected on May 26 and the IAF declared the pilots dead on Wednesday.