Bommai condoles demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, wife and 11 others

Team Udayavani, Dec 8, 2021, 7:17 PM IST

Chief Minister Basawaraj Bommai on Wednesday, December 8 condoled the demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife and said it is an unprecedented tragedy.

Taking to Twitter he wrote, “The unfortunate crash has truly left all of us saddened beyond words. On behalf of all of Karnataka, my condolences to the family of our CDS Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat and all the officers on board that ill-fated chopper.”

“May we all find the strength to bear this loss that’s really not easy to come to terms with,” he added.

Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, his wife and 11 other armed forces personnel died on Wednesday after the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Air Force said.

The lone survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is currently under treatment at a military hospital in Wellington, it said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was ”deeply anguished” by the sudden demise of Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others in an ”extremely unfortunate helicopter” accident. ”Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course today,” the IAF said in a statement.

”With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” it said.