Char Dham trip ends in tragedy for five Bengaluru friends as helicopter crashes in Chamoli

“Gone too soon, brother,” Bengaluru police inspector Arun Salunke had written on Instagram on August 28, mourning the death of a colleague from the Central Crime Branch (CCB). A little over a month later, Salunke, 44, was himself gone, killed along with four friends from Bengaluru when the helicopter carrying them back from Badrinath crashed near Jyotirmath (Joshimath) in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday.

The five friends had set out on the Char Dham pilgrimage three days earlier and were expected to return to Bengaluru on Friday evening. Their families and friends were waiting for them when news of the crash arrived. One of them had spoken to a childhood friend just hours earlier, describing how the group was waiting inside the helicopter for the weather to clear.

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Bengaluru police official among dead

Salunke, a 2007-batch Karnataka police officer from Aratal village in Athani taluk of Belagavi district, had completed his education at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bengaluru before joining the police force. He served at Halasuru police station and in the Criminal Investigation Department before becoming an inspector with the Bengaluru Police's CCB.

Dasappa, the owner of the apartment building where Salunke had lived as a tenant for three years, said the inspector was friendly with everyone and had maintained good relations with residents. “Arun Salunke was a very good person. He was friendly with everyone in the apartment,” Dasappa said.

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Gajendra, a resident who had also known Salunke for three years, recalled meeting him during morning walks. Salunke would typically leave for duty at around 10 am and return at about 10 pm, he said. Dasappa added that Shankar Gowda, an advocate who was among those on the pilgrimage, occasionally visited the apartment.

Who were the victims of helicopter crash

The other passengers killed in the crash were identified as H S Nataraj, 51, Prathap Ningraju, 41, Sudheer K, 49, and Shankar Gowda, 39. All five passengers were residents of Bengaluru, according to Uttarakhand authorities.

Nataraj, a native of Huliyurdurga in Tumakuru district, headed the Vidya Bharati educational institution. Shankar Gowda was an advocate, while Prathap, who came from Bachanahalli in Sakaleshapura taluk of Hassan district, was engaged in civil contract work. He had moved to Bengaluru about 15 years ago and lived in Thanisandra with his wife and two sons, who study in Classes 7 and 3.

His family had been expecting him home on Friday evening. Prajwal, a coffee planter and Prathap's brother-in-law, said the five friends had left for the pilgrimage three days earlier. “We were all waiting for them to come back, but instead received the tragic news,” he said.

“He was happily married and had a family life. The entire family is in tears,” Prajwal said.

Call to friend before ill-fated helicopter ride

For Nagesh, a businessman from Huliyurdurga and Nataraj's childhood friend, the loss was particularly difficult because of their last conversation. Nagesh said Nataraj called him at around 11 am on Friday from inside the helicopter.

“He told me that he was sitting inside the helicopter and waiting for the weather to clear. The pilot had reportedly told them that the area was covered in thick fog and that they would have to wait until visibility improved. When I asked him about the weather, he said it was extremely cold there,” Nagesh said.

Karnataka CM, political leaders mourn loss of lives

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed grief over the deaths and said the state government was coordinating with Uttarakhand officials to bring the bodies back to Karnataka as soon as possible.

“The news that a helicopter en route from Badrinath to Dehradun crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, killing the pilot from Delhi and five passengers from Karnataka, has caused profound shock and grief,” he said in a statement.

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"Discussions are underway with Uttarakhand officials to bring the bodies back to Karnataka as soon as possible, and the state government stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased during this time of grief,” Shivakumar said.

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge expressed condolences over the deaths, saying the loss of Kannadigas in the crash was heartbreaking. He said Salunke's death was particularly painful for the police department and offered condolences to the families of all five passengers and the pilot.

“The fact that Arun Salunke, a CCB inspector who had gone on a trip, has lost his life in this tragedy is an extremely painful matter for the Police Department,” Kharge said, praying for peace for those killed and strength for their bereaved families.