Mumbai: The wife and two daughters of Captain V.C. Katoch, of the two pilots on board the Pawan Hans helicopter, remained in a state of shock and stayed confined to the Captain’s official quarters.
“Ms. Katoch has not been speaking to anyone or allowing anyone inside her home. The CMD and officials from the ONGC tried speaking to her on Monday, but failed. She has hardly spoken to her neighbours. Their two daughters did not go to school on Monday,” a security officer at Pawan Hans quarters said.
Capt. Katoch was a former Army Aviation Corps pilot. According to Army sources, he was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Army in December 1985. He later converted to the Army Aviation from his parent arm. He left the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after putting in 25 years of service.
Capt. Katoch had been flying with the national helicopter carrier, Pawan Hans, for about 11 years. His associates recalled him as a highly professional flier, who was amiable, social, and got along with his colleagues. Capt. Katoch had a flat in Panchkula, but used to reside in the Pawan Hans Colony in Juhu.
On arriving in Mumbai from Chandigarh on Sunday morning, Capt. Katoch’s wife and daughters did not speak to the media. They are reported to have told friends and neighbours that they are positive about Katoch’s well-being. Since news of another body being recovered on Sunday came in, the family remained confined to their flat.
