14 persons were on board, 13 people including India’s CDS Bipin Rawat have been confirmed dead so far
Tamil Nadu, Dec 8 (Asia Free Press): An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter carrying India’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, crashed in Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India, on Wednesday, officials told local media.
In a tweet, Indian Air Force confirmed the death of Gen Bipin Rawat and expressed deep regret.
A Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying Get Rawat crashed near Conoor, according to an Indian Air Force statement issued on Twitter. Confirming the incident, the Indian Air Force said that an inquiry had been ordered into the matter.
A list of passengers and crew members of the helicopter from Delhi to Sulur doing the rounds on social media names General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brigadier L.S. Lidder (defence assistant to the CDS), Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh (special officer to the CDS), PSOs Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lieutenant Naik Vivek Kumar, Lieutenant Naik B Sai Teja, and Havildar Satpal.
As per the media reports, a meeting with senior Defence Ministry officials is underway. Rajnath Singh is expected to brief the parliament shortly, as per reports. Parliament is in session.
The top Indian military official was going to the Defence Staff College in Wellington from the IAF base in Sulur near Coimbatore.
In 2019, Rawat was appointed India’s first Chief of Defense Staff, which the Indian government established in 2019 with responsibility for the country’s three armed services. Rawat was seen as close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He had earlier called for lynching the Kashmiris involved in anti-india activities during a media event held in New Delhi last month.
