IAF chopper crash: Group Captain Varun Singh's mortal remains to be airlifted to Bhopal today, last rites on Friday

New Delhi: The mortal remains of Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Varun Singh will be airlifted to Bhopal on Thursday. As per a press release issued by the IAF, the mortal remains of Singh are expected to arrive in Bhopal by 3 pm today and the funeral will take place on Friday.

The Group Captain succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon on Wednesday, a week after the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash near Tamil Nadu`s Coonoor on December 8, in which Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 armed forces personnel were killed.

Singh, who was the lone survivor of the crash, was on life support in the Military Hospital at Wellington in Coonor. 

He was later shifted to Command Hospital in Bengaluru. Group Captain belonged to Bhopal and graduated from the National Defence Academy in 2003. 

He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in 2004 and mainly flew Jaguars and Tejas during his flying career. 

He was an experimental test pilot and was conferred with the Shaurya Chakra on August 15 this year. He was posted to Defence Services Staff College as an instructor when he passed away. 

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Home minister Amit Shah, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan among others paid tribute to Group Captain Varun Singh.