IAF Chopper Crash: Mortal Remains Of All Defence Personnel Identified, 5 Of Them Receive Final Adieu

The remaining bodies of four other personnel were identified through DNA testing and will be handed over to the family members on Sunday

File Photo

New Delhi: The last rites of five personnel were performed on Saturday after the mortal remains of the 10 victims of the tragic chopper crash near Coonoor were identified that killed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat including 13 others.

While other remaining bodies of the four other personnel were identified through DNA testing and will be handed over to the family members on Sunday, an official said on Saturday night, according to news agency PTI. The process of identification of these four bodies was completed in the evening.

The last rites of the defence personnel were carried at their native places with appropriate military.  Gen Rawat, his wife and Brig Lidder were cremated at Delhi's Brar Square Crematorium on Friday evening.

On Saturday, the last rites of Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) A Pradeep, Wing Commander P S Chauhan, JWO Rana Pratap Das, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh and Lance Naik Vivek Kumar were performed in the afternoon while Lance Naik B Sai Teja will be cremated on Sunday.

While the last rites of Lt Col Harjinder Singh are likely to take place at Brar Square crematorium in Delhi on Sunday, the bodies of Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, and Naik Jitendra Kumar will be moved to their home towns by military aircraft.

Bidding Final Adieu

Junior warrant officer Pradeep Arakkal

Arakkal was cremated at his native village Ponnukkara in Kerala's Thrissur district with his son lighting the pyre. His body reached Sulur airbase in Coimbatore from New Delhi around 11 am before taken to Kerala by road where thousands of people gathered on both sides of the National Highway to pay homage to the departed soul. While hundreds gathered to pay their last respects to the soldier when his body was brought to his school in Puthur around 3 pm.

Later, the body was taken to his residence for cremation.

Wing commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan

In Agra, twelve-year-old Aaradhya lit the funeral pyre of her father wing commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan along with her brother Aviraj (7) and cousin Pushpendra Singh. She went on to say that she will follow her father's footsteps and become an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot too. Officials from the IAF, Agra administration and police among others, too, paid their tributes to the wing commander.

Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh

Kuldeep Singh who belonged to Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district was also cremated by his wife Yashwani lighting the funeral pyre. Earlier in the day, the body reached Jhunjhunu airstrip in a helicopter where he was given floral tributes. A decorated truck of the IAF left for his village Ghardana Khurd with the body. Thousands of people reached the village to pay tributes.

Lance Naik Kumar

In Himachal Pradesh, Lance Naik Kumar was cremated with full state honours at his native village in Kangra district. People in large numbers bid final adieu to Kumar at the crematorium at Thheru village in Jaisinghpur.

JWO Rana Pratap Das 

The body of JWO Das was consigned to flames at his native village in Odisha's Angul district. His body was brought to his village Krushnachandrapur near Talcher where thousands of people lined up on both sides of the road to pay respects.

The funeral rites were held in the presence of family members including Das's old parents, IAF personnel, and hundreds of people at a crematorium in his native village.