08 December 2021
Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat along with his wife Mrs. Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other persons on board have died in a helicopter crash in Tamilnadu this afternoon.
They were traveling in an IAF Mi-17 V5 helicopter which crashed shortly after take-off today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. General Rawat, his wife, his Defence Assistant, security commandos, and Air Force personnel were on board.
The crash took place shortly after the Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills.
The IAF as well as the defence minister of India, Mr. Rajnath Singh confirmed this news through their official Twitter account.
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.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021
An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. Prime minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of the "Cabinet Committee on Security" at 06:30 pm today.
As India’s first CDS, Gen Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to our armed forces including defence reforms. He brought with him a rich experience of serving in the Army. India will never forget his exceptional service.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2021
General Rawat, 63, took charge as India's first Chief of Defence Staff in January 2019. The position was set up with the aim of integrating the three services - the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.