New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (December 8) said that he is hoping for the safety of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and all others involved in the military chopper crash near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
In a tweet, Gandhi wrote, “Hoping for the safety of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and others onboard the chopper. Prayers for speedy recovery.”
Hoping for the safety of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and others onboard the chopper.
Prayers for speedy recovery.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 8, 2021
Around 14 people were on board the military chopper that met with an accident in Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area near Coonoor in the hilly Nilgiris district, leading to the death of at least four persons, as per PTI report. The Indian Air Force issued a list of names who were on board the chopper besides CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat. The others onboard were Brigadier LS Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, NK Gursewak Singh, NK Jitendra Kumar, L/NK Vivek Kumar, L/NK B Sai Teja and Hav Satpal.
The IAF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the accident, involving a Mi-17VH chopper that took from the Sulur IAF Station in nearby Coimbatore.
Chief of Defence Staff Rawat was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington when the accident occurred near Coonoor.
Meanwhile, "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is monitoring the situation following crash of IAF chopper carrying CDS Bipin Rawat and others. A meeting of senior Defence Ministry officials is underway. Singh has briefed the PM about the crash," Sources told ANI.
(With agency inputs)
