CDS General Bipin Rawat, 11 officials died in helicopter crash

New Delhi / Coonoor – Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other defence officials were martyred in a helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. General Rawat was on his way to give a lecture at a military base in Tamil Nadu when the helicopter crashed. The cause of the crash is still not known. One official has survived the crash and is undergoing treatment at a military hospital. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the accident.

On November 22, 1963, an Air Force helicopter on its way to Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir met with an accident, killing four army and two Air Force officers. These included two officers of Lieutenant General rank. The news of the Indian accident did not get much publicity as the assassination of US President John F Kennedy also happened during the same time. This is the second instance of a helicopter crash where many defence officials have been martyred.

General Rawat was travelling in an Air Force MI-17V5 helicopter. The helicopter had taken off from the Air Force base at Sulur, Coimbatore. General Rawat delivered a lecture at 2.45 pm at the Military College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu. However, while travelling over Upper Coonoor, the helicopter lost contact with the systems at the base. The helicopter crashed in the dense forest of Coonoor. After the crash, the helicopter caught fire. At this time, the locals rushed to their rescue after seeing the fire. But the intensity of the fire prevented the locals from removing anyone from the helicopter.

On receiving this information, an army team immediately rushed to the place. General Rawat and his wife Madhulika and other officers were rushed to a military hospital in Wellington after the fire was extinguished. In the evening, it was announced that General Rawat had died in the accident. The whole country is mourning the tragedy and a heartfelt tribute is being paid to General Rawat.

President Ramnath Kovind said, ‘Mother India has lost her brave son and I am shocked by his untimely demise’. In his condolence message, the President said that General Rawat was a great hero who had selflessly served Mother India for the last four decades. ‘Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. He greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus as a true patriot. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. India will never forget his exceptional service,’ said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mourned the death of General Rawat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that General Rawat’s departure has caused irreparable damage to the defence forces and the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tributes to General Rawat, saying his contribution to the country could not be described in words.

At 6.30 pm on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the wake of General Rawat’s accidental death. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were present at the meeting. Details of the meeting have not been released. But there are indications that the meeting was convened to discuss the situation following the sudden death of the defence chief.