Assuring that the court of inquiry into the CDS chopper crash case would be a "very very fair process", Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Saturday said the probe team's mandate is to investigate every single angle and aspect of the accident and come out with findings and recommendations.
Speaking after the Air Force Combined Graduation Parade at the academy here, the IAF chief said he would not like to pre-empt the findings of the investigations as it was a thorough process. The tri-services inquiry set up by the Defence Ministry to probe the reasons behind the chopper crash wherein 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.
"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."
A tri-services inquiry has been formed by the Defence Ministry including its head 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 the aircraft had taken off on December 8 and crashed soon after.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 defence personnel lost their lives in the crash involving the Mi-17V5 chopper flown by the commanding officer of the 109 helicopter unit Wg Cdr Prithvi Singh Chauhan.
He said that Indian Air Force is prepared to take on any challenge at the borders.
India and China are engaged around 20 months of stand-off at the LAC.
Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, "The IAF is on the cusp of transformation into a highly potent Air Force with new inductions like Rafale, Apache, Chinook and a wide variety of SAGW systems."
The IAF chief also said that the induction of Rafale aircraft will be completed by February 2022. He said that out of 36 aircraft, 32 have been delivered. Out of the remaining four, three will arrive on time in February, he said.
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