Destiny’s cruel play: Mother receives news of her son’s death on her b’day
   Date :09-Aug-2020

D V Sathes_1  H
 Capt D V Sathe’s parents Neela and Col (retd) Vasant Sathe at their residence in Bharat Nagar in city, on Saturday. Both were in a state of shock. (Right) D V Sathe and his wife Sushama.
 
 
Staff Reporter
 
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Saturday would have been a different day for Neela Sathe. For, it was her birthday, and her son Capt D V Sathe had planned to visit her. But, destiny dealt a cruel blow. On Saturday morning, the mother came to know that her son had died on Friday evening. Capt Deepak Vasant Sathe died while saving lives of many passengers on-board Air India aircraft he was piloting. The aircraft skidded and overshot the runway at Kozhikode airport in Kerala, and broke into two. His parents, Col (retd) Vasant Sathe and Neela Sathe, reside in Bharat Nagar, Nagpur. While the other members of Sathe family and relatives came to know the sad news on Friday night, but breaking it to the aged parents of Capt Deepak Sathe wasn’t easy.
 
Finally, seniors in the family mustered courage and told it to Neela Sathe. The news left 87-year-old Col (retd) Vasant Sathe and his wife 83-year-old Neela, in deep shock. They had lost their second son to accident. Their elder son Capt Vikas Sathe died at the young age of 22 in an accident during his posting in Artillery in the Indian Army in Jammu region in 1980s.
 
The eyes of Col Vasant Sathe, a retired Education Corps officer, had welled up and his stare shook to core even the mediapersons who had gone to his house ‘Shreyas’. Capt Deepak’s mother Neela also found it hard to find words to express her feelings. “Deepak was a great son. He was always the first one to help others in need. He has sacrificed his life for the country,” said Neela Sathe, with a lump in her throat and tears in eyes. She recalled that Capt Deepak Sathe, who had served in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited before joining Air India, had won eight honours in the IAF. He had won a ‘Sword of Honour’, had topped in the National Defence Academy, and excelled in horse-riding, sports, and academics too, she said with glimmer of pride in her eyes.
 
“Both my sons sacrificed their life for the country. Deepak sacrificed his life while saving many others. Who can kill the one who is saved by God, it is said. But, see here... who is saved and who is killed... What more can a mother say? Destiny has left a mother with no words...” said Neela Sathe, as emotions overwhelmed her. A few days ago, Capt D V Sathe had called his mother and asked her not to go out of the house due to COVID-19 situation. Capt D V Sathe is survived by his parents, wife Sushma, sons Shantanu and Dhananjay, daughter-in-law Vaibhavi Shantanu Sathe, and sister Anjali Manoj Parashar. Dr Yashodhan Sathe, nephew of Capt Deepak Sathe, who stays in New Manish Nagar, Nagpur, said that Capt Sathe’s wife, sister, and younger son Dhananjay who works in Bengaluru, had reached Kozhikode.
 
“The authorities are yet to hand over body of my uncle to the family members. Air India officials at Nagpur paid a visit to us on Saturday evening and assured help if we wanted Capt Deepak Sathe to be brought to Nagpur for last rites. But, his mother categorically told the authorities to perform his last rites as per the wish of his wife (Sushama Sathe), and follow COVID-19 guidelines. Capt Sathe’s another son Shantanu is in the US, and Ministry of Aviation is trying to arrange for his return to India,” said Dr Yashodhan Sathe. 
 
A cousin’s tribute to the accomplished pilot Capt D V Sathe’s cousin Nilesh, who is Advisor (Finance) with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), wrote an emotional Facebook post. In the post, Nilesh Sathe, recalled that Capt Deepak Sathe had survived an air crash in early 1990s when he was in the IAF. “He was hospitalised for six months for multiple skull injuries. Nobody thought that he would fly again. But, his strong will-power and love for flying made him clear the test again. It was a miracle,” he wrote. Capt Deepak Sathe was a Wing Commander with the IAF.
 
In fact, he was so accomplished a pilot that he became a test pilot. He earned respect of others during his stint in the IAF as well as HAL. “It’s hard to believe that Deepak Sathe, my friend more than my cousin, is no more. He was pilot of Air India Express carrying passengers from Dubai in ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, which skidded off the runway at Kozhikode International Airport yesterday night. The pilot martyred but saved life of 180 co-passengers,” wrote Nilesh Sathe.
 
He said that Deepak was an ‘experienced aerial operator with 36 years of flying experience’. A passout of NDA, topper in the 58th course and an awardee of ‘Sword of Honour’, Deepak served in the IAF for 21 years before joining as a Commercial Pilot with Air India in 2005. Nilesh Sathe recalled his last conversation with Capt D V Sathe just a week ago. He said that Capt Deepak Sathe was ‘jovial as always’. He added, “When I asked him about the ‘Vande Bharat’ Mission, he was proud of bringing back our countrymen from Arab countries.
 
I asked him, “Deepak, do you carry empty aircraft since those countries are not allowing entry of passengers?”. He had replied, “Oh, No. We carry fruits, vegetables, medicines etc to these countries and the aircraft never flies to these countries empty.”