New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, December 9, told parliament that a tri-services inquiry led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has already begun investigation into the helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 others.
Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha that all efforts were being made to save IAF Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, who was on life support at the military hospital in Wellington.
“A tri-services inquiry headed by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has been ordered by the Indian Air Force. A team of investigators had reached Wellington yesterday (Wednesday) itself and started their work,” Singh said.
Gen Rawat, India’s first CDS, his wife Madhulika and 11 other armed forces officers died when the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed. Singh’s statement in the lower house confirmed what had been reported on Wednesday: that the CDS was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in an Air Force Mi 17 V 5 helicopter.
However, new details were provided, including that the chopper took off from Sulur Air Base at 11:48 am and was expected to land at Wellington by 12:15 pm. “Air Traffic Control at Sulur Air Base lost contact with the helicopter at approximately 12.08 pm. Subsequently, few locals spotted a fire in the forest near Coonoor and rushed to the spot where they observed the wreckage of military helicopter engulfed in flames. Rescue teams from the local administration in the vicinity reached the site and attempted to recover the survivors from the crash site,” the defence minister.
Singh also revealed the identities of all the 13 people who died in the crash. They are: CDS General Rawat; his spouse Madhulika Rawat; the CDS’ defence adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder; staff officer Lt Col Harjinder Singh. The other nine are officers of the armed forces and their names are Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B. Sai Teja.
Singh said that the last rites of the CDS will be performed with full military honours. He said the last rites of the other military personnel who died in the crash will also be conducted with appropriate military honours.
Also Read: General Bipin Rawat: A Military Officer Who Was Forthright and Blunt to a Fault
Parliament pays tribute
Both houses paid tribute to General Rawat and the other deceased. In the lower house, the members stood in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect for.
Speaker Om Birla said Rawat had worked towards bringing reforms and would be remembered for his dedication.
In the Rajya Sabha, the deputy chairman Harivansh describing India’s first CDS as an exceptional and distinguished military leader.
Reading out Rawat’s obituary, Harivansh said the CDS had an illustrious military career spanning over four decades during which he held several important staff positions and went on to become the Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016.
“In the last two years, Gen Rawat tried to bring transformative reforms in the security architecture of our country,” Harivansh said.
“As an individual, he will always be remembered for his commitment to the nation as well as troops, he said.
“In the passing away of Gen Rawat, the country has lost an outstanding soldier and an exceptional and distinguished military leader,” he said.
Parliamentarians observe two-minute silence on the demise of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and other military officers in the Lok Sabha, New Delhi, December 9, 2021. Photo: LSTV grab via PTI
The House, he said, deeply mourns the passing away of Gen Rawat, his wife, and 11 others.
“The loss of precious lives is indeed painful and unfortunate,” he said after which members stood in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed.
Thereafter, the defence minister made a statement, which was identical to the one he made in the Lok Sabha earlier.
The opposition parties which have been demanding that the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs should be revoked had earlier decided to suspend the protest to pay tribute to Rawat and the others.
