New Delhi, Dec 10: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday paid tribute to Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder at Brar Square, Delhi Cantonment here.
Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, the defence assistant to the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat was among the 13 people who died in the military helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonnor on Wednesday.
The three service chiefs – Army Chief General MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari too paid their tribute to Brig LS Lidder.
NSA Ajit Doval and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter also paid tribute to Brigadier Lidder.
The Army said the mortal remains of only three persons — General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier Lidder — had been positively identified so far.
“Brigadier Lidder was one of the brightest army officers. He had served in Jammu and Kashmir and had a whole career ahead of him,” BJP leader Rajyavardhan Rathore said remembering the deceased.
An IAF chopper crash near Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday claiming the lives of 13 people including CDS Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.
Other nine defence forces personnel who died in the chopper crash are Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Rana Pratap Das, Junior Warrant Officer Arakkal Pradeep, Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik B Sai Teja.
The bodies of the victims were flown from Sulur near Coimbatore to the Palam air base Thursday evening in caskets wrapped in the Tricolour.
Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor in the crash, has been shifted to Air Force Command hospital at Bengaluru for further treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Union Minister Smriti Irani visited Palam airbase and paid their last respects to the deceased.
The Centre has ordered a ‘tri service’ inquiry into the accident. The inquiry will be headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command.
According to the sources, the black box of the chopper has been recovered from the crash site.
A team of Tamil Nadu’s Forensic Science Department also visited the crash site. (AGENCIES)