Varun is a fighter, he will win battle and come out, says father of lone survivor of chopper crash
Bhopal, Dec 11: The health condition of IAF Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and 12 others, being treated at Command Hospital in Bengaluru is "fluctuating", but he will win the battle and come out as he is a "fighter", his father said on Saturday.
CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 armed forces personnel were killed in the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Group Captain Varun Singh, a decorated officer, was on board the Russian-made chopper as the liaison officer for the visit of Gen Rawat, India's senior-most military officer, to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
Talking to PTI over phone from Bengaluru, Varun Singh's father Colonel K P Singh (retired), who lives in Bhopal, said, "There is so much of fluctuation that how (my son is) cannot be defined."
He said his son's health is being monitored every hour.
"In the hourly monitoring, there are rises and falls. You cannot say. Everyone is discussing. We are in the best hands. He is in the best hands, rather," the retired Army officer, who hung up his boots some ten years ago, said.
"The best medical facility, the best experts are treating him. Prayer of the whole country is there. I am emotionally moved as a lot of people who don't know him or are retired or serving have come to meet. Even ladies are coming saying they want to see him (Varun). That is the kind of love and affection one has got," he proudly said.
"He will come out victorious. He is a fighter. He will come out...He will come out," Singh said.
The Group Captain was conferred with the Shaurya Chakra in August for averting a possible mid-air accident after his Tejas light combat aircraft was hit by a major technical last year.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had on Thursday told the Lok Sabha that all efforts were being made to save the Group Captain, who was then on life support at the military hospital in Wellington (Tamil Nadu).
He was admitted to a hospital in Wellington with severe burn injuries following the Wednesday crash. He was initially moved to Sulur in an ambulance by road and then was flown to Bengaluru for better treatment.
The condition of the Group Captain is critical but stable, officials had said on Friday.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
