Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led the Nation in paying tribute to the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat who died along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other soldiers in a helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday. The PM and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the mortal remains of General Rawat at Delhi, where they arrived in an Indian Air Force flight late on Thursday evening. Earlier in the day, the Defence Minister informed Parliament about the circumstances surrounding the tragic demise of India’s top military officer, CDS Bipin Rawat and others in the helicopter crash.

The Defence Minister informed the Lok Sabha that the Indian Air Force has appointed a tri-service inquiry under Air Martial Manvendra Singh to probe the crash of Mi-17V5 helicopter in a jungle in Coonoor. He said the bodies of the deceased would be brought to Delhi tonight. General Rawat would be cremated with full military honours and other officers would be cremated with appropriate military honours. Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the crash, is on life support at the Wellington Military Hospital and all efforts to save him are being made, said the Defence Minister.

“I have come to inform the House of the tragic demise of General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other members of the convoy including officers and the crew. General Rawat was on a scheduled visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, for an interaction with the students. His helicopter Mi-17V5 took off from the Sulur air base at 11.48 am. It was supposed to land at Wellingon at 12.15 pm. The Sulur air base traffic control lost contact with the helicopter at 12.08 pm. Shortly afterwards, near Coonoor in the jungles, some locals saw fire erupting from a specific spot. They informed the local administration which rushed there and rescued the bodies from the flames,” the Defence Minister told the House.

ID-ing the mortal remains

On Thursday, the Indian Airforce aircraft from Sulur arrived at Palam airbase and a ‘Shradhanjali’ ceremony was conducted by the Defence Ministry wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Defence Minister paid tribute to CDS General Bipin Rawat and other Armed Forces personnel at the airbase.

“Positive identification of only three mortal remains (General Bipin Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and Brig LS Lidder) has been possible as of now and their mortal remains will be released to the next of kin, for final religious rites as desired by respective families,” the government said in a statement.

The process of positive identification of the others is continuing. The mortal remains will be kept at the mortuary of Army Base Hospital till completion of positive identification formalities. Appropriate military funerals of all deceased are being planned and coordinated in close consultation with close family members, it said.

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