Daughters of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat pay last respects to their parents

New Delhi: Daughters of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Kritika and Tarini, on Friday paid floral tributes to their parents here in the national capital.

The grandchild of the CDS also paid final respect to grandparents.

General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were among the 13 people who died in the military helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonnor on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also paid tribute to CDS General Bipin Rawat.

Several political leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Harish Singh Rawat, BJP chief JP Nadda and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, among others, paid their last respects to the CDS and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal also laid a wreath at the mortal remains of the CDS and his wife.

Also, religious leaders held a multi-faith prayer as they paid their last respects to the CDS and his wife.

5/11 Gorkha Rifles are looking after all the arrangements of the last rites of General Rawat who was commissioned in the unit and also went ahead to command it.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the death of CDS General Rawat a great loss to the nation and said, "I Had great relations with CDS General Bipin Rawat...Such a brave commander...his wife and other soldier leaving like this is very painful. His death is a great loss to the nation. CDS with his courage and bravery made a place in every Indian heart. I express condolence to the loss."

The last rites of General Rawat will be performed later in the day with full military honours. The funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg and reach Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment.

An IAF chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday claimed the lives of 13 people including CDS Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and his defence adviser Brigadier Lidder.
The Army said the mortal remains of only three persons -- General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier Lidder -- had been positively identified so far.

Brigadier Lidder was cremated earlier today.

Other 10 defence forces personnel who died in the chopper crash are Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik B Sai Teja.

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor in the crash, has been shifted to Air Force Command hospital at Bengaluru for further treatment.

The Centre has ordered a 'tri service' inquiry into the accident. The inquiry will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command.

According to the sources, the black box of the chopper has been recovered from the crash site.

A team of Tamil Nadu's Forensic Science Department also visited the crash site.