Pune-based ex-army officer killed in Gaza
According to his family members with whom Hindustan Times spoke, the last rites of the 46-year-old former Indian Army officer will be held in Pune in two days after his body is flown in via Cairo
Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (retd) - killed in the Rafah region of Gaza - was settled in Pune and had joined as security service coordinator with the UN three weeks ago, his family said on Tuesday.
According to his family members with whom Hindustan Times spoke, the last rites of the 46-year-old former Indian Army officer will be held in Pune in two days after his body is flown in via Cairo. He is survived by his wife Amrita, son Vedant and daughter Radhika.
Waibhav Kale’s brother, group captain Vishal Kale, is a senior officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and his cousin, colonel Ameya Kale, is also in the Indian Army.
Col Ameya Kale, when contacted, said, “Waibhav Kale’s brother is in touch with the embassy and other government departments. The date and time of the last rites will be decided by the family. It has been unanimously decided by the entire family not to speak more right now as we are grief-stricken and in a state of mourning.”
A native of Nagpur, Waibhav Kale, 46, working with the United Nations, tragically lost his life enroute to a hospital in the Rafah region of Gaza, Palestine, on Monday. Waibhav Kale had recently relocated to Pune, and had begun his role as security service coordinator with the UN just three weeks earlier, as confirmed by his family members on Tuesday. The former Indian Army officer had joined the UN as security coordination officer with the UNDSS recently in April 2024.
According to Waibhav Kale’s brother-in-law, wing commander (retd) Prasant Karde, the last rites of the ex-Indian Army officer will take place in Pune after two days (48 hours) following the transportation of his remains from Cairo, Egypt.
Karde, a senior commander with IndiGo, said that colonel Waibhav Kale was travelling in a vehicle displaying the United Nations flag when it was attacked.
Waibhav Kale - who left the Army three years ago and settled in Pune - originally hailed from Nagpur and studied at the Somalwar High School in the city. The former infantry officer chose to join the UN to advance his career and engage in humanitarian missions, wing commander Karde explained. While Waibhav Kale tragically succumbed to his gunshot wounds, another officer who was in the vehicle with him is in critical condition and receiving medical care. Waibhav Kale’s remains are being transported from Cairo and will arrive at either Mumbai or Pune, depending on flight availability, wing commander Karde said. Wing commander Karde further said that while in the Indian Army, colonel Waibhav Kale participated in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo in 2009-10. Karde said that the timing of Waibhav Kale’s latest job with the United Nations proved fatal, leading to his death. The (now deceased) army officer had commanded 11 JK Rifles in Kashmir, and was an instructor at the Army Infantry School in Mhow. Waibhav Kale, who joined the army in 1998, served during his military career spanning over two decades, in the northeast, including the Siachen glacier. He was a former officer in the National Rifles in Kashmir. He was also part of the counter intelligence and counter terrorism operations’ unit of the army.
His LinkedIn profile states that he holds experience in the entire spectrum of security risk management where he claimed to have steered an organisational turnaround while heading an independent unit, overseeing security risk assessment and planning. “It included a plan presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also led the security orientation and sustainability training for a youth development programme, with over 3,000 volunteers. I further detailed an International Youth Exchange programme to the Central Asian Republics. As the contingent security coordinator with the United Nations, I facilitated safe and efficient programme delivery and access to those in need. It entailed security risk mitigation by engaging with host country agencies, other security stakeholders and local community/influencers. Had the distinction of being part of the security coordination team during the visit of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton,” the profile states.
