IAF Chief VR Chaudhari promises a'very very fair' investigation into the chopper crash case involving CDS Bipin Rawat

On Saturday, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari assured that the court of inquiry into the CDS chopper crash case would be a "very very fair process," saying the probe team's mandate is to investigate every angle and aspect of the accident and come up with findings and recommendations.

The IAF commander said he didn't want to pre-empt the outcomes of the investigations because it was a comprehensive procedure after the Air Force Combined Graduation Parade at the academy here.

According to official sources, the tri-services inquiry set up by the Defence Ministry to investigate the causes of the chopper crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 13 others is scheduled to wrap up in the next two weeks.

"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 IAF chief expressed his "heartfelt grief and sorrow on the demise of CDS Bipin Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and 12 armed forces personnel."

The Defence Ministry has created a tri-services inquiry, which includes Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, an Indian Army Brigadier, and an Indian Navy Commodore.

The investigation team is due to present its report by the end of the year, and they have already taken witness accounts on the ground and at the airbase where the plane took off on December 8 and crashed shortly after.

The Mi-17V5 chopper flown by the commanding officer of the 109 helicopter unit, Wg Cdr Prithvi Singh Chauhan, crashed, killing CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 12 other defence personnel.