President, PM condole demise of Gen Rawat
NEW DELHI: India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others died in a military chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
"With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that General Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons onboard have died in the unfortunate incident," the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
Gen Rawat was on a visit to the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Nilgiri Hills to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course.
Around noon on Wednesday, an IAF Mi17V5 helicopter with a crew of four members carrying the CDS and nine others met with the tragic accident near Coonoor.
Out of the 14 people, Group Captain Varun Singh, Directing Staff at the Defence Services Staff College, is currently undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington.
Madhulika Rawat, Brigadier L.S. Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Naik Vivek Kumar, Naik B. Sai Teja and Havaldar Satpal were travelling along with General Rawat.
Apart from them, two pilots, a Group Captain and a gunner were onboard the ill-fated chopper.
Singh, along with his wife and seven staff, boarded a flight at Delhi for the Sulur IAF base near Coimbatore at 8:47. They landed in Sulur at 11:34 am. From there, they boarded the Mi17V5 helicopter at 11:48. At 12:22 pm, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) lost contact with the chopper, which crashed in a forest area around 7 km from Coonoor.
The IAF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the accident. The report is expected in one month. The mortal remains of all the deceased will be brought to Delhi on Thursday.
General Rawat, 63, took charge as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020. The position was created to integrate the three services -- Army, Navy and Air Force. The CDS is mandated to facilitate integration, ensure best economical use of resources allocated to the armed forces and bring uniformity in the procurement procedure.
Later, he was also appointed as the head of the newly-created Department of Military Affairs.
On December 17, 2016, the government had appointed him as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff. He took charge on December 31, 2016, after the retirement of General Dalbir Singh Suhag.
General Rawat was also the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all tri-services matters.
Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed deep grief over the demise of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and other military personnel.
Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda also expressed condolences over the sudden demise of CDS Rawat and 12 other onboard the ill-fated chopper.
In a series of tweets, President Kovind said, "I am shocked and anguished over the untimely demise of Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika ji. The nation has lost one of its bravest sons. His four decades of selfless service to the motherland was marked by exceptional gallantry and heroism. My condolences to his family."
Expressing his grief, Prime Minister Modi said in a series of tweets, "I am deeply anguished by the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu in which we have lost Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and other personnel of the armed forces. They served India with utmost diligence. My thoughts are with the bereaved families."
"Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernizing our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti," the Prime Minister added.
Sharing his grief, Amit Shah said, "A very sad day for the nation as we have lost our CDS, General Bipin Rawat Ji, in a very tragic accident. He was one of the bravest soldiers, who served the motherland with utmost devotion. His exemplary contributions and commitment cannot be put into words. I am deeply pained." (IANS)
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