Who was Harpal Randhawa, Indian mining tycoon killed in Zimbabwe plane crash?

Indian billionaire Harpal Randhawa and his 22-year-old son Amer were among the six people killed when their private plane crashed near a diamond mine in southwestern Zimbabwe. Names of the deceased are yet to be released by police but journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chinono, who was a friend of Randhawa, confirmed his death.

The plane experienced a technical fault, possibly resulting in a mid-air explosion, before plummeting into Peter Farm in the Zvamahande region. All passengers and crew onboard lost their lives in this accident, reports said.

Who was Harpal Randhawa?

Harpal Randhawa was the owner of RioZim, a wholly-owned diversified mining company in Zimbabwe producing gold and coal as well as refining nickel and copper.

The Cessna 206 aircraft, owned by RioZim, was en route from Harare to the Murowa diamond mine when the tragic incident occurred on Friday. The single-engined aircraft crashed near the Murowa Diamonds mine, which is partly owned by RioZim.

According to Randhawa's LinkedIn profile, he also served as the Chairman of GEM Holdings, founded by him in July 1993. GEM Holdings, a private equity firm, is now worth $4 billion.

Amer Randhawa was a trained pilot and was travelling as a passenger on the flight.

(With PTI inputs)