Mortal Remains of CDS Bipin Rawat, wife to arrive in Delhi today

New Delhi, Dec 9: The mortal remains of Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika Rawat are expected to arrive in Delhi on a military plane by Thursday evening. An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper carrying them and 11 others crashed in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

The last rites will be performed on Friday in Delhi Cantonment. The bodies would be kept in their house from 11am to 2pm for people to pay their last respect. The funeral procession will start from Kamraj Marg to Brar Square crematorium.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government declared a three-day state mourning over the death of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on Wednesday. General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force said.

Describing his death as an "irreparable loss" to the country, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Uttarakhand will always be proud of its son. The general belonged to Saina village of Pauri district in the state. The CM declared the state mourning from December 9 to 12.

In his condolence message issued here, Dhami prayed for peace to the departed souls. Terming the sudden death of Rawat as an irreparable loss to the country, Dhami said he had made great contribution to the country's security.

"The country will always remember the courageous decisions taken by him for the security of the borders and the contribution made by him to keep the morale of the armed forces always high," he said.