JORHAT, Jan 29: Former MP RK Khrimey and Jorhat Air Force Station Air Commodore MK Jha on 27 January, jointly flagged off a cycling expedition organized by the Air Headquarter Communication Squadron from the crash site of the Tupolev-124 aircraft at Tekelagaon village near here in Assam to 3Wg Palam Station to commemorate the sacrifice of the TU 124 crew, which perished while saving the lives of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai and other VIPs.
Khrimey was also among the survivors of the crash which occurred on 4 November, 1977.
The TU-124 of Air Headquarter Communication Squadron while flying from Delhi to Jorhat crashed in a paddy field in the Tekelagaon village near Jorhat. Among the dignitaries on board were then Prime Minister Morarji Desai, then Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh PK Thungon, then intelligence Bureau chief John Lobo and the PM’s son Kanti Lal Desai.
While the entire delegation along with other passengers survived with minor injuries, the flight crew namely, Cdr Clarence J D’Lima, Wg CdrJoginder Singh, SqnLdr VVSNM Sunkara, SqnLdr Mathew Cyriac and Flt Lt OP Arora made the supreme sacrifices while ensuring the safety of the passengers.
The cycling expedition team consisting of 13 air warriors of Air HQ Comn Squadron is expected to reach on 20 February and will cover a distance of 2,500 kms over a period of 17 days.
