CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others have died in an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on 8 December. The chopper crashed after having taken off from Sulur in the Nilgiris, while it was heading to Wellington base.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to tweet his tribute to Bipin Rawat, stating that “India will never forget his exceptional service.”