CDS Bipin Rawat no more: UN Secy-General Guterres mourns death of top Indian Army officer

In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash in the Coonoor district of Tamil Nadu, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mourned the demise of India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday. Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that Guterres expresses his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased, to the people and the Government of India. 

It is imperative to mention that General Rawat served the United Nations with distinction and the same was commended globally. Notably, he was Brigade Commander of the North Kivu Brigade of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo (MONUC) between 2008 and 2009. 

CDS General Bipin Rawat no more

CDS General Bipin Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and 11 others died in an IAF helicopter crash when the 63-year-old along with his wife and staff was travelling to Wellington Staff College to deliver a lecture at 2:45 PM. All communications with the IAF Mi-17 V5 chopper were lost just minutes before the tragic crash between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu. In fact, reports suggest that the crash took place only 10 minutes away from the destination helipad. 

It was brought to the fore by official sources that the Chief of Defence Staff departed the Palam airbase in an IAF Embraer aircraft at 8:47 AM and landed at Sulur airbase at 11:34 AM. Later, he took off from Sulur in a Mi-16V5 chopper at around 11:50 AM for Wellington. The helicopter crashed at approximately 12:22 PM. In 2015, Late CDS Rawat had survived a helicopter crash six years ago while he was commuting with a Lieutenant General.

Lone survivor Wing Commander Varun Singh

Apart from the CDS, others on board included the CDS' wife Madhulika Rawat, Defence Assistant to CDS Brigadier LS Lidder, SO to CDS Lt. Col. Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B Sai Teja and Havaldar Satpal. The lone survivor, Wing Commander Varun Singh, who piloted the chopper is currently battling for his life at a military hospital in Wellington.

The mortal remains of all those who lost their lives will be brought to Delhi tomorrow. The Indian Air Force has initiated an inquiry into the crash and is searching for the black box of the chopper.