Flight Lieutenant Chandrasekhar was on annual leave, traveling from Lucknow to Chennai when he bravely intervened during a train robbery in Chambal.
Forty-three years after his tragic death on November 21, 1981, while attempting to prevent the robbery, his wife reconnected with the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday, November 30, 2024, when over Rs 1 crore in arrears was credited to her account.
The 70-year-old woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that the most meaningful aspect of the gesture was not the financial settlement, but the restoration of the connection with the force her late husband had served in.
Colonel Vembu Shankar, a Shaurya Chakra awardee and founder of Project Sambandh, highlighted that the emotional value of this reconnection far surpassed the monetary aspect.
After Chandrasekhar’s passing, his wife, from Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai, faced years of uncertainty regarding her pension benefits. It was only through the efforts of Project Sambandh that her family’s rightful entitlements were finally addressed.
Chandrasekhar, originally from Chennai (then Madras), was on annual leave and traveling from Lucknow to Chennai when a group of four armed robbers launched an attack on the train in Chambal.
Chandrasekhar bravely fought to protect fellow passengers during the robbery but was tragically shot. While the robbers fled, no passengers were harmed. He was on his way to reunite with his wife, who was nine months pregnant, and their two-year-old son. His heroic actions were posthumously honored with a Kirti Chakra in 1982.
Following his death, his family faced financial hardships due to the delayed entitlements. His wife was labeled a ‘widow’, and the emotional toll of losing her husband and their children’s father was overwhelming, as noted by Col. Shankar.
In 1984, the woman moved to Australia and remarried in 2002, causing her pension to be halted. Although she was entitled to pension and benefits due to her husband’s gallantry award, she did not receive them due to incorrect name spelling and inadequate documentation. These issues were addressed and resolved under the efforts of Project Sambandh.
In September 2024, the Allahabad Pensions Department began processing the long-overdue payments, following updated regulations, Col. Shankar shared. The family’s financial entitlements were finally reinstated on Saturday, marking the resolution of a long-standing issue.
“This process wasn’t easy. It required a deep understanding of the rules and regulations, along with coordinating with over 10 agencies to ensure the paperwork was correct,” said Col. Shankar.
He pointed out that the woman, as a civilian, was unaware of the regulations. “There is a significant gap in communication between the armed forces and the families of personnel who pass away in non-combat situations, such as medical issues, accidents, or suicide, while still in service,” he explained.
Col. Shankar expressed hope that Project Sambandh, launched in 2017, will serve as a bridge to connect families of such personnel with the armed forces, ensuring better support for them.