Hyderabad: Thirty-year-old Major Tahir Hussain Khan from the city was killed on Wednesday evening when the Dhruv helicopter he was co-piloting, crashed in the Kurshu forest at Safapora of Bandipora district in Kashmir.
Major Khan, a resident of Suraram village in Qutbullapur mandal, was an experienced pilot and rose to the rank of Major in the Army in 12 years. His family members, most of whom are from a defence background, are proud of him as he gave his life in service to the nation. He had got married last May and had taken his wife to Kashmir on posting.
“He wanted to marry after becoming a senior officer. He got married after he became a Major,” said a relative. Coming from a family serving in the Army and Air Force, Major Khan wanted to serve the nation from a young age. His father Sarvar Hussain Khan is a retired Air Force officer. His elder brother is in the Army while his younger brother is in the Air Force, currently posted in Begumpet.
“Tahir joined the Army as technical staff in 2003 and became a qualified pilot in a few years. He had done extra courses and earned the qualification to be in his current post,” said another relative.
Major Khan was posted in the 202 Army Aviation Squadron in Kashmir, and had a good track record. He had finished his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya and had done his graduation from AV College in the city. The scene at Khan’s house in Quthbullapur was heart rendering. His father, Sarvar Khan was inconsolable.
“He was in constant touch with us in the last few days. In May he got married and left for Kashmir,” said his younger brother Mahmood Khan, who is an Air Force officer. The mortal remains of Major Khan arrived in city on Thursday and formal tributes were paid by senior Army officers from Secunderabad.
