We lost an asset from Indian Defense; he is General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat, who was born on 16 March 1958. He was an Indian military officer and was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
Before taking over as the CDS, Bipin Rawat served as 57th and last Chairman of the chiefs of Staff Committee and 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
On 8 December 2021, Rawat died in an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. His wife Madhulika Rawat and his staff members were also killed in the crash, as per the research done by Prittle Prattle official. The sole survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, is on life support in the Military Hospital at Wellington. All efforts are made for his recovery, reported by Rajnath Singh.
Rawat was born in Pauri, Uttarakhand, into a Hindu family. His family had been assisting in the Indian Army service for multiple generations. His father, Laxman Singh Rawat, was from Sainj village of the Pauri Garhwal district and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General. His mother was from the Uttarkashi district and was the daughter of the ex-Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Uttarkashi.
Rawat was a graduate of the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, and the Higher Command Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He obtained an MPhil degree in Defense Studies and a diploma in Management and Computer Studies from Madras. He joined the National Defense Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, awarded the ‘Sword of Honour.’ In 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by CCS University, Meerut, for his military media strategic studies.
The Air Force Mi 17 V 5 helicopter took off from Sulus Air Base at 11:48 AM yesterday and was expected to land at Wellington by 12:15 PM. Air Traffic Control at Sulur Air Base lost contact with the helicopter at approximately 12:08 PM. Near Coonoor, a few locals spotted a fire in the forest, and when they rushed to the spot, they found the wreckage of a military helicopter engulfed in flames. A rescue team from the local administration rushed to the site and attempted to recover the survivors from the crash site. Defense advisor Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lt Col Harjinder Singh, and nine other Armed Forces personnel, including the Air Force helicopter crew, died.
The mortal remains of the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika Rawat, are expected to arrive in Delhi on a military plane by today evening. Over the sudden demise of India’s chief of defense staff, the Uttarakhand government has declared a three-day state mourning from 9 December. The United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan expressed their condolences over the demise of Gen Rawat.
Rawat had survived a helicopter crash six years ago, in 2015, when he was a Lt General. The IAF has also ordered a probe into the crack as there is no knowledge of what led to the crash. The Mi17V5 helicopter has been an advanced military transport chopper with the Indian Air force since 2012. Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan was the pilot of the plane.
Odisha Police expressed gratitude for Rawat’s virtual address to senior officers; they said General Rawat had taken time to address them.
This release is articulated by Prittle Prattle News in the form of an authored article.
Image Courtesy: Bipin Rawat
