Terrible news from Bangalore. A friend, the father of a college classmate, and a person I have known for a decade, was found murdered at his home in Huskur on the outskirts of Bangalore over the weekend. Air Commodore (Retd) Parvez Hamilton Khokhar, who served as Chief Test Pilot on the LCA Tejas programme and as Air Attache at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was found in his bedroom with his hands and legs tied, with strangulation marks around his neck. There was likely a break-in and a burglary. AVM Khokhar was about 70 years old, survived by his wife and two daughters — his younger daughter Reem was a college classmate and continues to be a friend.
Post retirement, Air Commodore Khokhar was well known as a no-nonsense observer of aerospace issues, writing often for magazines.
Still in a bit of shock and really have no more words. I’ll end with what Air Cmde Khokhar told my friend Ajai Shukla for his fine 2013 piece on the LCA Tejas:
The Tejas Mark I is far superior to the MiG-21 fleet that the IAF would have to operate to the end of this decade. In key respects, it is a better fighter than even the Mirage 2000. The Tejas Mark I should enter the IAF’s combat fleet in larger numbers and the Tejas Mark II scaled down. This would allow the air force to retire the MiG-21 fleet sooner.
RIP
Shocked and sad to hear this.
In India each year we hear of incidents of unusual death of nuclear scientist. This is the second unusual death of chief test pilot of Tejas, first was in 2011, when the pilot had committed suicide by hanging.
Should be investigated.
This case should be investigated properly. I find his death suspicious.
he has been murdered just like baldev singh.
all those who serve in key project have died like this. its done by our own agencies.
who will want to become a scientist or test pilots or be a person attached to key project and then in the end die like this.
BARC,drdo,hal scientists had been murdered like this in the past.
such a sad news. RIP. Hope his family gets justice soon
what did he mean by "Tejas MK II has to be scaled down " ??
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