The last rites of Group Captain Varun Singh, who was the only survivor of the Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, will be performed on Friday, news agency PTI reported. The ritual will be performed at the Bairagarh cremation ground in Bhopal at around 11am.
Earlier in the day, the mortal remains of Singh reached the Bhopal airport from Bengaluru where he was admitted to the Command Hospital. The group captain, who was battling for life since December 8 and was on life support, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. With his demise, all those that were on board the IAF helicopter on December 8 lost their lives due to the tragic incident. India's first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were among the 13 individuals who were killed in the crash.
The mortal remains of Singh arrived in Bhopal on a special plane at around 3pm, the PTI report stated. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with state medical education minister Vishvash Sarang, and several military and IAF officials paid tribute to the group captain at the airport.
Later, Singh's body that was placed inside a tricolour wrapped coffin, reached the Inner Court Apartment in Bhopal's Suncity neighbourhood, where his family stays.
{{/usCountry}}Later, Singh's body that was placed inside a tricolour wrapped coffin, reached the Inner Court Apartment in Bhopal's Suncity neighbourhood, where his family stays.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, Chouhan announced a ‘Samman Nidhi’ of ₹1 crore to the family of the Singh. He told reporters that after consultation with Singh's family, the state government will install the Group Captain's statue, name an educational institution after him and also offer a job to his kin as per the laid down practices.
The chief minister added that Singh's last rites will be performed with full military and state honours. “I have spoken to his father who is also very brave. This family is now the family of the nation and the state,” Chouhan was quoted as saying by PTI.
Singh hailed from a family of Armed Forces, with his father Colonel KP Singh (retired) being a former Army personnel and his younger brother Tanuj Singh posted as a Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy. The family that now resides in Bhopal originally belonged to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. Singh is survived by his wife Geetanjali, a son aged 11 and a daughter aged 8. He got married in 2008 after meeting his wife while she was studying in a Pune college.
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The Group Captain received the Shaurya Chakra this year from President Ram Nath Kovind for showing exceptional flying skills during an aerial emergency last year. Following the crash on December 8, he was first shifted to a hospital in Tamil Nadu's Wellington with 80 per cent burn injuries. A day later, the Group Captain was moved to Bengaluru for better treatment.