Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Wife and 11 others dead in Chopper Crash
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and 11 other members of his staff are found dead in an Indian Air Force(IAF) chopper crash, the incident took place near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, 8 December 2021.
The lone survivor of the crash Group Captain Varun Singh is under treatment in Wellington at the Military Hospital. The Indian Air Force(IAF) twitted that the crash happened at around noon on Wednesday and they ascertained the departure of General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and 11 others by 6:03 P.M. Confirming the incident Indian Air Force tweeted:
“Around noon today, an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident near Coonoor, TN.”
“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs. Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident.”
Gen. Bipin Rawat was on board the chopper with his staff to visit the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington(Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and the student officers of the staff course on Wednesday conveyed the Indian Air Force.
He has served the 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and 26th of Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. He was appointed first Chief of Defence Staff on 30 December 2019 and presumed the office from January 1, 2020. General Bipin Rawat and his spouse Madhulika Rawat’s last rites will take in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.
Amit Shah forwarded his grief over the tragedy via Twitter saying
“A very sad 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 has served the motherland with utmost devotion. His exemplary contributions & commitment cannot be put into words. I am deeply pained.”
– Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 8, 2021
Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India mourned the death of CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat via Twitter:
“My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this accident. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington.”
– Rajnath Singh(@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also put into words the loss of Gen. Bipin Rawat via Twitter:
“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.”
– Narendra Modi(@narendramodi) December 8, 2021
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
