In a horrific tragedy, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others died after the Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed at Katteri village near Coonoor in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu on December 8. He was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers, when the chopper, which was to shortly land at Wellington, lost control, hit a tree, crashed and hurtled down as a ball of fire on exploding. The first confirmation of the mishap came from the Indian Air Force which tweeted: The IAF chopper, Mi-17V5 with the CDS and others on board "met with an accident near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, adding, "an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident." The tragedy plunged the entire defence establishment and the country into shock and grief. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, on hearing of the tragedy, rushed to Coonoor in the evening and was briefed late in the night about the tragedy by army personnel at the DSSC. On December 9, Mr. Stalin placed a wreath and paid homage to the body of General Bipin Rawat kept at the DSSC in Wellington. “Extremely saddened by the demise of India's first CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and the 11 Armed forces personnel in the tragic chopper crash near Coonoor. I join the nation in mourning this irreparable loss and offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” the DMK leader said in a tweet. After paying homage to General Bipin Rawat and others, Mr. Stalin in another tweet said: “With a heavy heart, I paid my salutes and last respects, on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, to the mortal remains of our CDS Gen #BipinRawat, Mrs. Madhulika Rawat and other selfless defence personnel who lost their lives in the #HelicopterCrash, while in service of the nation.”....