Ooty: In a tragic incident, the highest defence officer of India, India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others died in a chopper crash near Tamil Nadu's Coonoor in the Nilgiris on Wednesday. 

The chopper crashed shortly after it took off from the Air Force base in Sulur at 11.45 am, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills.

IAF confirmed the death of the general on micro-blogging platform Twitter.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to issue a statement in Parliament on the crash of the military chopper with the Chief of Defence Staff on board. 

With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country". 

"General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage and diligence. As the first Chief of Defence Staff he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces".

The IAF said ina tweet, "Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington".

Bipin Rawat was travelling in IAF's Mi-17 chopper to Wellington Staff College for a lecture on Wednesday. There were 14 people on board the military chopper. 

General Bipin Rawat, is a four-star general of the Indian Army. He is the first and current CDS of India. On 30 December 2019, he was appointed as the first CDS of India and assumed office from 1 January 2020. Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father. He has much experience in high-altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting counter-insurgency operations 

On 17 December 2016, the Government of India appointed him as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff General Rawat, is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; Higher Command, National Defence College. He also attended the Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth in the United States.