Family of Haryana airman on board the crashed AN-32 wait for his safe return

Airman Pankaj Sangwan from Haryana’s Sonepat district had got his first posting at Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam.

Family members of 22-year-old airman Pankaj Sangwan, who is among 13 people on board the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Antonov AN-32 that went missing on June 3 shortly after taking off from Jorhat in Assam, are hoping see him safe.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with Pankaj Sangwan’s mother (left) and other family members in Sonepat on Tuesday.(HT Photo)

Pankaj’s grandfather Balwant Sangwan said they have received information that wreckage of the plane has been spotted in Arunachal Pradesh, eight days after the plane disappeared from the radar.

“We wish that everyone, including our son, is safe. We are hoping against hopes. Till now, we have only been informed that some parts of the aircraft were spotted by a search operation team and efforts are on to find the passengers,” he added.

Hailing from Kohla village in Sonepat district, Pankaj, after undergoing training in Bengaluru, had got his first posting at Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday also met the family members of Pankaj and said he had a word with the search team.

“I can understand the situation Pankaj’s family members are in. The government must speed-up the search operations and should keep informing the family members about the progress made,” Hooda said.

Earlier, former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala, had also met Pankaj’s family.