Chopper crash: Mortal remains of CDS Rawat, others arrive at Palam Airbase in Delhi
Dec 09, 2021
New Delhi [India], December 9 : The mortal remains of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and others who lost their lives in the Tamil Nadu chopper crash, four of which have so been identified so far, were brought to Palam Airbase in caskets wrapped in tricolour on Thursday.
Bodies of only Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brigadier LS Lidder and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar have been identified so far.
Those who died in the crash include General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.
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.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval also arrived at Palam Airbase and met with the families of Armed Forces who lost their lives in the Tamil Nadu chopper crash yesterday.
The 'Shradhanjali ceremony' is scheduled from 8:30 hours today.
The Indian Army said that the process for positive identification of remaining mortal remains is continuing. The mortal remains will be released to the Next of Kin, for final religious rites as desired by respective families.
The mortal remains will be kept at the Mortuary of Army Base Hospital till the completion of positive identification formalities.
Civilians can pay tribute to CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat from 1100-1230 hours at CDS Karaj marg residence tomorrow.
The last rites will be held in Delhi on Friday with full military honours. A funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg to Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.
The last rites of Brig LS Lidder's who passed away in the military chopper crash will be held at 0915 hours at Delhi Cantt tomorrow.
