Bipin Rawat: India’s top general laid to rest with full state honours as witnesses recall seeing chopper disappear into fog

General Rawat and his wife Madhulika laid to rest by their daughters

India’s senior-most military official Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were laid to rest with full state honours on Friday.

General Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 V 5 helicopter crashed in a forest minutes before its scheduled landing at the Wellington military base. The lone survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is being treated at a military hospital in the state.

The 63-year-old general was named India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS) in 2019, a role designed to provide oversight of the country’s army, navy and air force combined. He had earlier served as the country’s chief of military.

The mortal remains of Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika were brought to the national capital’s Brar Square crematorium in a gun carriage amid chants of patriotic slogans.

Federal defence minister Rajnath Singh, Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders across the political spectrum paid their respects before the cremation.

Army officers carry the coffins containing the mortal remains of India’s defence chief General Bipin Rawat (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Gen Rawat was accorded a 17-gun salute in the presence of 800 service personnel. The couple’s last rites were performed by their daughters Kritika and Tarini.

Military commanders of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh joined the final rites, while Pakistan’s defence adviser and naval adviser posted at its high commission paid their last respects at the general’s residence.

The bodies of Gen Rawat, his wife and 11 others were flown to Delhi on Thursday night.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi led tributes in a brief ceremony on Thursday.

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi pays tributes in front of the coffins of the country’s top military official and 12 others (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Addressing the Indian parliament, the defence minister Mr Singh said there was no indication of bad weather in Tamil Nadu, where the chopper crashed, or a distress signal from the crew.

He added that the Russian-origin chopper took off from Sulur Air Base at 11.48am and was expected to land at Wellington in the next 27 minutes. However, just 20 minutes after taking off, the air base lost contact with the helicopter.

The chopper’s black box was recovered after the search in the area was expanded from 300m to 1km, authorities confirmed.

Firemen and rescue workers stand next to the debris of an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash site (AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, a video of a helicopter flying near the Nilgris and vanishing into mist has emerged and is being said to be the last time the chopper was seen before it crashed. The IAF has not confirmed the authenticity of the video.

The IAF has constituted a tri-service court of inquiry to investigate the cause of the chopper crash.

“The inquiry would be completed expeditiously and facts brought out. Till then, to respect the dignity of the deceased, uninformed speculation may be avoided,” it tweeted.

The international community offered condolences for Gen Rawat.

“We’ll remember Gen Rawat as an exceptional leader who served his country and contributed to the US-India defence relationship,” said US secretary of state Antony Blinken.

Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev condoled the military chief’s death as well: “India has lost its great patriot and dedicated hero”.

“Russia has lost a very close friend, who played a big role in promotion of our bilateral special and privileged strategic partnership. Grieving together with India. Goodbye, friend! Farewell, commander!” Mr Kudashev tweeted.

Emmanuel Lenain, the French envoy to India, was seen paying his respects at the general’s funeral.

“I wanted to pay tribute and to come in person for that ceremony as we remember him as a great military leader, emphatic, warm, determined and great friend to move forward cooperation with my country. He’ll be really fondly remembered,” he told news agency ANI.

Other senior military figures killed in the crash were Gen Rawat’s defence assistant Brigadier LS Lidder and his staff officer Lt Colonel Harjinder Singh.

The Indian army’s Mi-17V5 helicopters, like the model involved in the crash, are used in high-altitude operations and for transporting officials, including the prime minister.