Group Captain Varun Singh's mortal remains to be brought to Bhopal, last rites on Dec 17

The mortal remains of Group captain Varun Singh who succumbed to his injuries post the fatal IAF chopper crash on Wednesday will be shifted from Command Hospital to his hometown on Thursday, December 16. Republic has learned that the last rites of Group Captain Varun Singh will be held in Bhopal. His mortal remains will be brought to Bhopal on Thursday, which would be followed by his funeral, the day after. According to the Bhopal Collector, instructions on his last rites are yet to come in writing.

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the IAF helicopter crash that killed 13 people in Coonoor passed away on Wednesday, December 15, after a week-long battle for his life. On December 9, he was transferred from the Military Hospital in Wellington to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru in critical but, stable condition. 

The IAF officer who was a recipient of Shaurya Chakra came from a family of military veterans who had served in three branches of the military. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria, Singh’s father KP Singh retired from the Indian Army as colonel whereas his brother Lieutenant Commander Tanuj Singh is an officer in the Indian Navy. According to media reports, Singh was recently elevated from Wing Commander to Group Captain.

The Coonoor helicopter crash had claimed the life of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lt Col Harjinder Singh, and nine other Armed Forces personnel and staff members.

IAF chopper crash

CDS General Bipin Rawat was on his way to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, to address the student officers, along with his wife and the other Army personnel on December 8. The Mi-17 V5 aircraft carrying the personnel crashed in the forest area of the Coonoor taluk, leaving 13 dead. All communications with the chopper were lost just before the tragic crash. Group captain Varun Singh had emerged as the sole survivor of the disastrous incident. 

The funeral procession of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat left his official residence for the last rites at the Brar Square crematorium in the Delhi Cantonment on Friday, December 10. He was laid to rest with full honors in a funeral prepared by his Regiment 5/11 Gorkha Rifles.