The body of former Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandhu, who was
officially declared dead on Wednesday, was carried in a cortege to Itanagar in an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter on Thursday morning.
The chopper carrying Khandu's body to Itanagar was accompanied by 2 other choppers whose passengers included Union ministers Mukul Wasnik and Salman Khursheed, and Dorjee's elder brother Goleng Khandu.
The crashed helicopter and the shattered remains of the passengers were found by a search team that combed the forested area of Keyla on foot. No copters could access the site of the crash due to the rough terrain.
The body of the late CM of Arunachal Pradesh will be autopsied in Tawang soon.
The bodies of the pilots - Captain J S Babbar and Captain T S Mamik - were charred beyond identity. The bodies of the others on board that fateful Pawan Hans chopper were battered, but recognizable.
The remains of the pilots were flown to New Delhi, while the bodies of Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu will be cremated at Tawang soon.
The cremation of Dorjee Khandu is scheduled to take place on Friday at his ancestral home in the district of Tawang, in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other dignitaries.
The PM, President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari condoled the death of Khandu.
Patil stated that the late AP CM would be remembered for his service to the people of his state.