India holds funerals for top general and his wife after crash
India has held funerals for its top military commander and his wife in the capital Delhi.
Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week.
Gen Rawat, 63, was cremated with full military honors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the chiefs of India’s army, navy and air force have paid their respects to the victims.
The 13 bodies were flown back to Delhi from southern Tamil Nadu state, where the crash took place.
The Indian air force said it has only been able to identify the bodies of Gen Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and one more victim – Brig LS Lidder – until now.
The other 10 bodies are being kept at a mortuary until the identification process is completed.
The air force has ordered an investigation into the crash, which happened in foggy weather in the hills near Coonoor city.
On Friday, it asked the public to avoid “uninformed speculation” to “respect the dignity of the deceased”. Several social media users had tweeted conspiracy theories about the incident.
Gen Rawat, who was born on 16 March 1958 in the northern state of Uttarakhand, had the reputation of being a tough soldier and an inspiring commander.
He was appointed as the country’s first chief of defense staff (CDS) in 2019, and previously served as the chief of India’s one-million strong army.
The position of CDS had been set up to improve coordination between India’s army, navy and air force.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES