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Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1952

Age38 (at time of death)

BirthplaceAmritsar, Punjab

ProfessionIndian Air Force Squadron Leader

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseNirmal Khanna

FamilySurvived by a son and a daughter

Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader) Biography

Ravindra Kumar "Ravi" Khanna was an Indian Air Force squadron leader born in Amritsar in 1952. Commissioned in 1974, he served until his death on 25January

Early life and background
Ravindra Kumar Khanna, known as Ravi Khanna, was born in Amritsar, Punjab, in 1952. Details about his childhood and education are not included in the available records, but the basic personal facts indicate he spent his early life in Punjab before joining the Indian Air Force.

Career
Ravi Khanna pursued a career in the Indian Air Force and rose to the rank of Squadron Leader. He was commissioned on 1 January 1974 and was part of the 55 GDOC course. His service number is recorded as 13561 MET. Descriptions of his specific duties, postings and honors during his service are not provided in the excerpt, but his rank and commissioning details establish a long-term career as an officer in the IAF.

Death and circumstances
On 25 January 1990, Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna was killed in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, at the age of 38. The available account states that he was shot during an encounter with a group led by Yasin Malik, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). According to reports cited by his widow and contemporaneous media coverage, the attack occurred after an exchange that began when Malik and others asked Khanna for directions. Accounts in the record describe Khanna being shot in the abdomen and then receiving multiple further rounds. Medical reports referenced in the excerpt say a large number of bullets struck him, and he was declared brought dead at the Badami Bagh cantonment hospital.

Family and personal life
Ravi Khanna was married to Nirmal Khanna, a retired teacher from the Education Department in Srinagar. The couple married in 1978 and had two children: a son and a daughter. At the time of his death his son was eight and his daughter six. The excerpt notes that several of Khanna’s parents and his mother-in-law died after his killing. His widow, Nirmal, later spoke publicly about the personal and familial impact of his death and her long efforts to secure recognition and entitlements for the family.

Public profile
Khanna’s killing became part of a broader public conversation about the exodus and violence affecting Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. His widow publicly criticized the perceived prominence given to Yasin Malik in later years; she expressed deep distress when Malik met national leaders and when his public profile grew in subsequent decades. In 2019, she raised an administrative omission concerning Khanna’s name on the national War Memorial in New Delhi; after she publicized the issue, his name was recorded on the memorial in September 2019.

Latest updates
The record indicates that Khanna’s name received renewed attention following the 2019-2022 period, when his widow challenged portrayals of his killing in the film The Kashmir Files and sought corrections. The excerpt also notes legal developments involving Yasin Malik: he was accused in connection with killings of Indian Air Force personnel and was detained by investigative agencies on related charges.

Legacy
Ravi Khanna is remembered as an Indian Air Force officer who lost his life during the violent upheavals in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. His family’s efforts to have his service and sacrifice officially recognized, and his widow’s public statements, contributed to later official acknowledgement such as the addition of his name to the War Memorial in New Delhi.
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Career Highlights

  1. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 1 January 1974
  2. Served as Squadron Leader, service number 13561 MET
  3. Named on the War Memorial in New Delhi (added September 2019 after family intervention)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader) born?

1952

What is Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader) known for?

Indian Air Force Squadron Leader

What is Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ravi Khanna (Squadron Leader) married to?

Nirmal Khanna