Chopper crash: Daughters light pyres of defence personnel, who were their fathers, best friends and heroes

It was the daughters who lit the pyres of four defence personnel who were not only their fathers but also their best friends and heroes and had died in the chopper crash. They thought perhaps it was destined.

The last rites of four out of the 13 personnel who died in the chopper crash last week were performed by their daughters and not their sons or other male family members as they were blessed only with daughters. Coincidentally, all these four last rites were performed in Delhi.

The last rites of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were performed on Friday by their two daughters, Kritika and Tarini.

Similarly, the last rites of Brigadier LS Lidder were performed by his almost 17-year-old daughter Aashna at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment on Friday.

"I am going to be 17. So, he was with me for 17 years. We will go ahead with happy memories. It is a national loss. My father was a hero, my best friend. Maybe it was destined and better things will come our way. He was my biggest motivator," Aashna told ANI.

Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh's daughter Preet Kaur performed his last rites by lighting the pyre on Sunday. However, Harvinder Singh's brother also helped her in lighting the pyre.

Thirteen of the 14 people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter, including India's first chief of defence staff, his wife Madhulika Rawat were among those killed after it crashed on December 8.

Those who died in the crash include Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defence Adviser Brigadier Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh and nine other Armed Forces personnel including the Air Force helicopter crew.

Group Captain Varun Singh is the lone survivor of the crash and is presently admitted at Air Force Command hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment.

( With inputs from ANI )

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