Rawat, wife cremated with military honours, daughters perform last rites

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reached Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment and paid tributes to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who died in a military chopper crash on December 8. India's first CDS was accorded a sombre 17-gun salute in line with defence protocol.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, are among the dignitaries who also paid their last respects to CDS Rawat at the crematorium. CDS General Rawat, his wife and 11 other personnel lost their lives in a military chopper crash on December 8 in Tamil Nadu.

Mortal remains of Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were brought in a gun carriage decked with flowers to the Brar Square crematorium for performing the last rites. An IAF chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday claimed the lives of 13 people including CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and his defence adviser Brigadier Lidder.

Several people joined the funeral procession as it preceded towards the crematorium.These people were seen along the sides of the road with banners and national flags. While the cortege of the CDS preceded towards Brar Square crematorium, the citizens were seen chanting "Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Bipin ji ka naam rahega".

Meanwhile, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Mansukh Mandaviya, Smriti Irani, Narendra Singh Tomar and Sarbananda Sonowal had, earlier in the day, reached the residence of General Bipin Rawat to pay their last respects. Several political leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Harish Singh Rawat, BJP chief JP Nadda and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, among others, laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the CDS and his wife.

An IAF chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday claimed the lives of 13 people including CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and his defence adviser Brigadier Lidder. The Army said the mortal remains of only three persons -- General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier Lidder -- had been positively identified so far.Brigadier Lidder was cremated earlier today.

Other 10 defence forces personnel who died in the chopper crash are Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, 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 and Lance Naik B. Sai Teja. Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor in the crash, has been shifted to Air Force Command hospital at Bengaluru for further treatment.

The Centre has ordered a 'tri service' inquiry into the accident. The inquiry will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command. According to the sources, the black box of the chopper has been recovered from the crash site.