CDS chopper crash: Group Captain Varun Singh remains critical but stable, says IAF

The officer, the lone survivor of the December 8 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu, is on life support system, the force said.

Group Captain Varun Singh is critical but stable, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Tuesday, giving latest update on the health condition of its officer, the only survivor of the December 8 helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district, which led to the demise of 13 out of 14 people on board, including General Bipin Rawat and his spouse Madhulika Rawat.

Group Captain Varun Singh is being treated at Command Hospital in Bengaluru (PTI)

“Group Captain Varun Singh's medical condition continues to be critical but he is stable. He is on life support system in Bengaluru Command Hospital,” news agency ANI quoted IAF officials as saying.

The Shaurya Chakra awardee was travelling with General Rawat, the country's first and incumbent chief of defence staff (CDS), as the latter's liaison officer for a visit to the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), where the CDS was to deliver a lecture. After the helicopter crash, he was brought to the Military Hospital in Wellington but was later shifted to Bengaluru's Air Force Command Hospital.

Group Captain Singh's father, Colonel (retired) KP Singh earlier described his son as a 'fighter'. The former army officer said, “The best medical facility, the best experts are treating him (Varun). The whole country is praying for him. I am emotionally moved as a lot of people who don't know him or are retired or serving have come to meet him. That is the kind of love and affection one has got.”

Last Saturday, four days after the tragedy, defence minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Colonel (retired) KP Singh on the health condition of Group Captain Varun Singh.

The IAF has constituted a tri-service Court of Inquiry (CoI) to probe the crash. It is headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh.