Along with General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, seven Indian Army officers and jawans and four Indian Air Force officers lost their lives in the military chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
Among the 13 deceased, the military doctors have able to identify the mortal remains General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brig L.S. Lidder, while they are carrying out DNA tests to identify the others.
IANS takes a look at the bravehearts whose lives were cut short by the tragic accident:
Brig L.S. Lidder
Commissioned to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in December 1990. Was DA to CDS since Jan 2021. Approved for promotion as Major General, he was due to take over a Division. Commanded Brigade in the Northern Borders. Was instructor at NDA and Director at Military Operations Directorate.
Lt Col Harjinder Singh
2/11 Gorkha Rifles; Commissioned in September 2001 from OTA, Chennai. He was an instructor at IMA, Dehradun. Served in the Northeast and J&K. Also, in Sikkim Scouts. Was a Staff Officer in a Corps HQ.
Lance Naik B Sai Teja
11 Para (SF). Enrolled in June 2013, he served in super high altitudes in Arunachal Pradesh along the border with China. Part of counter-terrorist operations in Manipur and Nagaland. Mixed martial arts, unarmed combat, and communications and electronic warfare expert.
Lance Naik Vivek Kumar
1 Para (SF). Enrolled in December 2012, he served in South and North Kashmir, and also near the India-China border ahead of Spiti. Specialist in combat freefall, communications expert and excellent in unarmed combat.
Lance Naik Jitender Kumar
3 Para (SF). Enrolled in March 2011, he served in the Desert Sector along the Indo-Pak border, on the India-China border near Pithoragarh, and in J&K. Expert sniper and specialist in communications.
Naik Gursevak Singh
9 Para (SF). Enrolled in March 2004, he served in Ladakh, Poonch-Rajouri, South and North Kashmir. A demolition specialist, he was an expert in unarmed combat and close-quarter battle.
Havildar Satpal Rai
5/11 Gorkha Rifles. Enrolled in March 2002, he served in Siachen, Naushera, Nagaland and Manipur. His son is serving in the same unit as his father since last one year.
Indian Air Force
Wg Cdr P.S. Chauhan
Commissioned in the IAF in June 2002 as a helicopter pilot. Belonged to Agra.
Sqn Ldr Kuldeep
Commissioned in the IAF in June 2015 as a helicopter pilot. Belonged to Ghardana Khurd, Rajasthan.
JWO R.P. Das
Enrolled in the IAF in June 2006, he was a flight engineer who belonged to Angul, Odisha.
JWO A. Pradeep
Enrolled in Jan 2004, he was a flight gunner who belonged to Thrissur, Kerala.