Faces of tragedy: The chopper crash killed 13 including Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat

The chopper crash killed 13 including Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat

Late General Bipin Rawat: File Picture

TT Correspondent   |   New Delhi   |  10.12.21  : Defence personnel who died with Gen. Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat in Wednesday’s chopper crash

Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder

⚫DOB: June 26, 1969

⚫ Defence adviser to the CDS since January 2021

⚫ Commissioned to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in December 1990

⚫ Commanded a brigade on the northern borders; was National Defence Academy instructor; was director at the Military Operations Directorate

⚫ Approved for rank of major general, was due to take over a division

   Spouse: Geetika Lidder

   Offspring: Aashna Lidder (daughter)

⚫ Lt Col Harjinder Singh

⚫ DOB: April 17, 1978

⚫ Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

⚫ Commissioned in September 2001 from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai

⚫ Was instructor at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun; Staff Officer at a Corps HQ

⚫ Served in the Northeast; along the LoC and LAC in Jammu and Kashmir; served with the Sikkim Scouts

   Spouse: Maj. Agnes 

   P. Manezes (retd); served with the Army Education Corps from 2004 to 2014; served at the IMA and in high-altitude areas.

   Offspring: Preet Kaur (daughter)

⚫ Havildar Satpal Rai

⚫ Enrolled in March 2002

⚫ Served in Siachen, Nowshera, Nagaland, Manipur

⚫ Served in the same unit as his son for the past one year

Naik Gursewak Singh

⚫ Enrolled in March 2004

⚫ Served in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir (Poonch-Rajouri, south and north Kashmir)

⚫ Demolition specialist, best student in leadership course, expert in unarmed combat and close-quarters battle.

Lance Naik Vivek Kumar

⚫Enrolled in December 2012

⚫ Served in Jammu and Kashmir (south and north Kashmir, China border)

⚫ Combat freefall specialist, communications expert, excellent in unarmed combat

Lance Naik Jitender Kumar

⚫ Enrolled in March 2011

⚫ Served in the desert sector along Pakistan border, and on China border near Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) and Jammu and Kashmir

⚫ Expert sniper and communications specialist.

Lance Naik B. Sai Teja

⚫ Enrolled in June 2013

⚫ Served at super-high altitudes in Arunachal along the China border; engaged in counter-terrorism operations in Manipur and Nagaland.

⚫ Expert in mixed martial arts, unarmed combat, communications and electronic warfare.

The remnants of the chopper: PTI Picture

Crew members

Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan

⚫ Commissioned in June 2002 as helicopter pilot.

  Belongs to Agra.

Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh

⚫ Commissioned in June 2015 as helicopter pilot.

  Belongs to Ghardana Khurd, Rajasthan.

Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das

⚫ Enrolled in June 2006. Was a flight engineer. 

   Belongs to Angul, Odisha.

Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep

⚫ Enrolled in January 2004. Was a flight gunner.

    Belongs to Thrissur, Kerala