Group Captain Varun Singh's health condition critical but stable

The condition of Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crash that resulted in the death of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others in Tamil Nadu, continued to be critical but stable, informed IAF Officials. Earlier on Thursday, he was shifted to Air Force Command hospital in Bengaluru from Wellington's Military Hospital for further treatment.

The Group Captain was recently conferred with the Shaurya Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind for his act of exceptional gallantry. Thirteen of the 14 people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter, including India's first chief of defence staff (CDS), his wife Madhulika Rawat were among those killed after it crashed on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff 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. On Friday, the bodies of General Rawat his wife and his defence assistant Brigadier LS Lidder were cremated with full military honours in the Brar Square crematorium in the national capital.