As the nation mourns the tragic death of General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 others in a chopper crash, the military has completed elaborate preparations for the funeral of India's first Chief of Defence Staff.
CDS General Rawat will be accorded a 17-gun salute as per protocol. A total of 800 service personnel will be in attendance for the funeral of the country's senior-most military man. Mortal remains of General Rawat and his wife have been laid in state at their Kamraj Marg residence from 11am till 1:30pm to enable people to pay last homage. The funeral procession will start at 2pm and is expected to reach the Brar Square cremation ground in Delhi cantonment by 3:30pm.
It also learnt that a total 12 officers (from Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Brigadier and equivalent have been tasked to maintain continuous vigil over the mortal remains while it is laid in state. Six officers (two each from Army, Navy and Air Force) of the rank of Lieutenant General equivalent will be the Pall (National Flag) Bearers. Ceremonial Battery of 2233 Field Regiment is providing gun carriage. And 99 all ranks from the Army, Navy and Air Force and 33 members of the tri-services band will form the front escort. Meanwhile, 99 all ranks from the three services will act as the Rear Escort.
Post the playing of the Last Post and Rouse by tri-services buglers, the funeral pyre will be lit by family members at 4:45pm.
Mortal remains of only three (Gen Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier L.S. Lidder) could be positively identified so far. The last rites of Brigadier Liddar was held at the Delhi cantonment earlier today.
Meanwhile, the Air Force said that an inquiry into the chopper crash "would be completed expeditiously". Urging that "uninformed speculation may be avoided", the IAF stressed that "facts (would be) brought out soon". Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, who is the Commander of the IAF's training command and the senior-most helicopter pilot in the country, is heading the inquiry.