British High Commissioner Alex Ellis pays final respects to CDS Gen Bipin Rawat in Delhi

Condolences poured in from across the world over the untimely demise of India's first CDS General Bipin Rawat in an IAF chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor. British High Commissioner Alex Ellis on Friday, December 10, said he was deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and several defence officials. Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India and Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India arrived in Delhi to pay tribute to CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

Alex Ellis told ANI, "It's incredibly sad. He was a pioneer as he started the joint defence approach which we follow in the UK. He led that approach in India. It's very sad for India to lose a great leader, a soldier & a thoroughly nice man".

He further mentioned that Gen Bipin Rawat had deeply invested in strengthening the UK-India relationships in the area of defence. He said it's a 'great loss' as India lost its Bravehearts. "We remember him, his wife & all others who died in the crash, including many close friends of British High Commission", he added. 

Earlier on Wednesday, upon receiving the sad news, Alex Ellis had taken to Twitter to pay respect to the departed and wrote, "Tragic news. Gen Rawat was a wise man, a brave soldier, a pioneer & a generous host to me only weeks ago. We mourn his death and that of his wife, and all killed in this terrible accident".

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

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, amid chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘General Rawat Amar Rahe’,. 

The Senior Military Commanders who arrived at New Delhi to attend the final farewell of Gen Bipin Rawat include Gen Shavendra Silva, Chief of Def Staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne (Retd), Former Chief of Defence Staff. From neighbour countries of Bhutan and Nepal, Brig Dorji Rinchen, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army and Suprobal Janasewashree Lt Gen Bal Krishna Karki, Chief of General Staff (equivalent to Vice Chief of Army Staff), Nepali Army, had arrived. Also, Lt Gen Waker-UZ-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh, arrived in Delhi to pay homage to Gen Bipin Rawat.

(Image: ANI)