CDS Chopper Crash: Rajnath Singh To Brief President Today

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday to apprise him about the chopper crash near Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor that claimed the lives of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 defence personnel.

In a statement in Parliament, Defence Minister ordered a ‘tri service’ enquiry in a crash of the Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 helicopter.
The enquiry will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command.

General Rawat was on a scheduled visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington to interact with the student officers, Singh said.

He further said that the mortal remains of CDS General Rawat and 12 others will be brought to Delhi via IAF plane by Thursday evening and the last rites will be performed with full military honours.

Informing about the timeline of the fatal crash, the Defence Minister said that the IAF chopper lost contact with the Sulur base control room at around 12.08 pm after it took off at 11.48 am.

A total of 14 people were on-board the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed near Coonoor on Wednesday claiming the lives of 13 people including General Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

General Rawat was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defense Staff on December 31, 2019. He previously served as Chief of the Army Staff from January 2017 to December 2019. He was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1978.

A veteran of counterinsurgency warfare, CDS Rawat served in the most difficult terrains including Northern and Eastern commands. (ANI)