According to those familiar with the situation, the funeral of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, who died in a horrific air crash this week, would be place on Friday.
People will be able to pay their respects to the exceptional commander, who died in the military helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, along with his wife and 11 other armed forces members.
The bodies of General Rawat and his wife Madhulika will be held at their Kamaraj Marg mansion from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the general public to pay their final respects, according to the day’s plans released by news agency PTI.
Military members will be able to pay their respects to the braveheart general and his wife between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. General Rawat’s final journey from his home to the Brar Square cremation is expected to begin about 2 p.m.
According to the news agency, the funeral of late CDS Rawat will take place at 4 p.m., while the funeral of Brigadier LS Lidder, who was also named as one of the other victims of the aviation crash, will take place at 9 a.m.
Although the Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed the fatalities of 13 individuals in the helicopter crash on Wednesday afternoon, only the bodies of Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and Brigadier Lidder have been identified so far. According to army officials, the bodies of those who have been identified will be released to their families for final rites.
Meanwhile, the other bodies are being kept at the Army Base Hospital’s mortuary until they can be identified.
On Thursday, heartbreaking sights were witnessed at New Delhi’s Palam airport, as 13 caskets were lined up inside a hangar in the presence of their relatives.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval were among those who paid respect to the military services soldiers killed in the plane crash.
At a solemn event, the country’s top military officials, including Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, Air Chief Marshal AVR Chaudhari, and defence secretary Ajay Kumar, paid their final respects to the departed.
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