New Delhi: As the nation mourns the tragic death of General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 others in a chopper crash, the military has completed elaborate preparations for the funeral of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff. CDS General Rawat has been accorded a 17-gun salute as per protocol. A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the funeral of the country’s senior-most military man.
Mortal remains of General Rawat and his wife were laid in state at their Kamraj Marg residence from 11 AM till 1:30 PM to enable people to pay the last homage. The funeral procession started at 2 PM and reached the Brar Square cremation ground in Delhi cantonment at 3:30 PM. It also learnt that a total of 12 officers (from Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Brigadier and equivalent have been tasked to maintain continuous vigil over the mortal remains while it is laid in state. 6 officers (2 each from Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Lieutenant General Equivalent are the Pall (National Flag) Bearers.
Ceremonial Battery of 2233 Field Regiment provided gun carriage. And 99 all ranks from the Army, Navy and Air Force and 33 members of the tri-services band formed the front escort. The funeral pyre will be lit by family members at 4:45 PM. Mortal remains of only three (Gen Rawat, Madhulika Rawat, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Brigadier L.S. Lidder) could be positively identified so far. The last rite of Brigadier Liddar was held at the Delhi cantonment earlier today.
Meanwhile, the Air Force said that an inquiry into the chopper crash “would be completed expeditiously”. Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, who is the Commander of the IAF’s training command and the senior-most helicopter pilot in the country, is heading the inquiry.