Military Commanders of Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangla to attend Bipin Rawat's last rites

New Delhi, Dec 10: Military commanders of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh to attend last rites India's first CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, who was killed in the ill-fated military chopper crash in Tamil Nadu.

These include General Shavendra Silva, chief of defence staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army; brigadier Dorji Rinchen, deputy chief operations officer of the Royal Bhutan Army; Suprobal Janasewashree Lt General Bal Krishna Karki, chief of general staff, Nepali Army; and Lt General Waker-UZ-Zaman, principal staff officer of Bangladesh's armed forces division.

Reportedly, admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne (retired), former chief of defence staff of Sri Lanka, who also attended the final rites, was a course-mate of General Rawat at the National Defence College and a dear friend.

"A real tragedy. Our President today sent CDS and Army Command of Sri Lanka as his envoy for the ceremony. We're heartbroken. Many senior personnel in our military have known him well. He was Sri Lanka's friend," Milinda Moragoda, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner told ANI.

The daughters of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Kritika and Tarini paid floral tributes to their parents in the national capital.

Politicians cutting across party lines paid tributes to General Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat at their 3, Kamraj Marg residence today.

General Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 other military personnel were killed when a Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

Rawat will be accorded a 17 gun salute and a total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the military funeral of the CDS.