 "'He promised to take us on vacation,' says slain Army man's wife")
A pall of gloom descended on Takdah, a sleepy hamlet in West Bengal Darjeeling district, on Thursday as locals learnt about the death of Havaldar Satpal Rai who was among the 13 people killed in the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor.
Rai, who was a native of Takdah, is survived by wife, a daughter and a son who is also in the Army.
The helicopter crash on Wednesday killed India's first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, and 12 others.
Rai's distraught widow said that he had last come home during Diwali.
"He was supposed to come home in April again and had promised us a vacation to some place," she said.
His body is likely to arrive home on Friday, a neighbour of the Rai family home said.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista expressed his condolences on the demise of Rai.
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