Man who shot video of Gen Rawat’s chopper blames bad weather for tragedy

A Coimbatore-based wedding photographer who had recorded a video of what he states to be that of the ill-fated Indian Air Force helicopter, which crashed in nearby Coonoor, killing Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others, on Friday (December 10) said bad weather and poor visibility could have resulted in the chopper meeting with the accident.

General Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed when the Mi-17VH helicopter crashed in a wooded valley at Katteri-Nanjappanchathram area in Coonoor in the hilly Nilgiris district on December 8.

One IAF personnel — Group Captain Varun Singh — survived the crash and is undergoing treatment in Bengaluru.

Y Joe Alias Kutty, 52, is a wedding photographer from Coimbatore and had recorded the video on his mobile phone. The video has since gone viral on social media.

He and his friend Nazar, along with the latter’s family, had gone to Katteri for clicking photographs and out of curiosity, Joe had videographed the ill-fated helicopter.

Noting that Nazar had come with his family members on a tour to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) that day, Kutty said they were walking along the mountain train track near Katteri as the women in the group were posing for photographs and videos.

Video: What happened in the hours before chopper crash that killed CDS General Bipin Rawat

As he heard the sound of the helicopter, Kutty started shooting video and found the chopper disappearing into the fog and soon heard a big sound, the duo told reporters in Coimbatore.

Even as they tried to reach the hill, a police team arrived at the spot and stopped them from moving further, they said.

Though they tried to reach officials in the offices of district collectorate and superintendent of police that day, they were unable to convey the message.

“However, we shared the footage with a police official,” they said.

Also read: Gen Rawat was alive in the moments after the crash, claims witness

Meanwhile, all shops, commercial establishments and hotels downed their shutters in Nilgiris district as a mark of respect to the departed.

Private buses, tourist taxies and autorickshaws also remained off the road, even as the public arranged events to pay floral tributes to the deceased at various place in the district.

(With inputs from agencies)