Probe into CDS’ chopper crash will be very, very fair: IAF chief

Story by  ATV | Posted by  sabir hussain • 2 Years ago
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

 

Dundigal (Telangana)

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Saturday that the court of inquiry into the CDS chopper crash case would be a "very, very fair process".

Speaking after the Air Force Combined Graduation Parade at the academy here, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said he would not like to pre-empt the findings of the investigations as it was a thorough process.

"Let me assure you that it is a very, very fair process, this entire Court of Inquiry... I would not like to pre-empt any findings of the court of inquiry as it is a thorough process. It is a mandate to investigate every single angle and look into every single aspect of what could have gone wrong and come out with suitable recommendations and findings," he said.

The tri-services inquiry set up by the Defence Ministry to probe the reasons behind the chopper crash in which India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 13 others were killed is expected to complete its proceedings within the next two weeks, government sources said.

The probe is headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, a Brigadier from the Indian Army and a Commodore from the Indian Navy.

The inquiry team is expected to submit its report by the end of this year and they have already recorded statements of the witnesses on the ground and at the airbase from which the helicopter had taken off in the morning of December 8 and crashed soon after.

General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 12 defence personnel lost their lives in the crash involving the Mi-17V5 chopper.