Mumbai: "It was just a couple of days ago that we were in talks with a girl's family who wished to offer her hand in marriage to Papu Aluwalia," mourned Narinder Singh Sahani, family friend and neighbour of Harmider Singh Aluwalia, the deceased co-pilot of the Air India Express flight that crashed on Saturday morning in Mangalore.
Sahani described the 38 year-old Singh, who resided in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony in Andheri East, as a mild-mannered man.
Harpal Singh, another of Singh's neighbours, remembered how he, along with some senior society members, had accompanied Singh's brother to the airport on Saturday morning.
He said, "Harminder had a house in Mangalore, but would often visit Mumbai to be with family. He was a regular sight at our local Gurudwara, donating money for social causes. This is a black day for all those who have been touched by this gentle soul." Singh is survived by his mother, an unmarried sister and two brothers.