‘I only want justice’: bereaved families seek closure one year on from Air India crash

When Sagar Patel’s mother boarded India-flight-ai171" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="145114" data-entity-type="event">India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India flight AI171 on 12 June last year, she called her son as she always did before takeoff. The flight was due to leave Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and was destined for Gatwick.“We always had a little traditional thing,” said Patel, a business manager from London. “Once she got on the flight, she would sit down and call me. She’d tell me: ‘Yep, I’m on the flight. See you later.’”Hasumatiben and Sagar Patel. ‘She was my rock,’ Sagar said of his motherHe remembers asking her what she would like for dinner. “I told her: ‘I’ll be there to come and pick you up. I’ll see you later on.’ That was my last conversation with her.”One year after the crash, bereaved family members say they are still struggling to obtain answers about what happened.The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college shortly after taking off. The crash killed 241 people onboard, including 169 Indian nationals and 52 Britons, as well as 19 people on the ground. A further 67 people were seriously injured.Patel’s mother, Hasumatiben Patel, was returning to the UK after visiting family in India. “We’ve lost literally the heart of the family,” he said. “After losing my dad, the next person I looked up to was my mum. She was my rock.”After news of the crash, Patel flew to India to get answers, but a year on he has yet to find any. The loss of his mother, who lived with him and his wife and daughter, has had a profound impact on the family.“When I came back from India and walked into the house, my daughter was going around in her bedroom trying to look for her. It’s heartbreaking to see that.”Investigators have yet to publish their final conclusions about the crash, though further developments are expected in the coming days.Mike Andrews, an aviation attorney representing about 135 affected families, said relatives had faced “roadblocks” from India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India while seeking information about the crash. “They are still being victimised, even one year after the crash,” he said.Shweta Parihar with her 11-year-old sonFor Shweta Parihar, whose husband, Abhinav Parihar, died in the crash while travelling back to Britain, the most painful memories are of the days that followed.She flew out to India with her son after finding out about the crash. Because authorities were still trying to identify victims through DNA testing, she initially shielded the truth from her son. “I had to lie to him,” she said. “He kept saying: ‘I just want to talk to my dad.’”When he finally learned the truth, he was left devastated. Speaking about her 11-year-old son’s condition since losing his father, Parihar said: “He starts crying over small things now. Every little thing makes him cry.”The family had moved to Britain only a few years before the crash, hoping to build a better future. “Everything is now lost,” she said.Parihar, who is on a health work visa, decried a lack of support from the Indian and British governments, as well as India" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23960" data-entity-type="organization">Air India and the Tata Group, which owns the airline.Nusratjahan and Mohammed Shoeb IproliyaShe said she was seeking practical support to rebuild her life as a single parent, including help securing more stable employment in the UK, a work permit or sponsorship assistance, and support for her son’s education, childcare and activities.Parihar said: “I can’t get him involved in any activities here because they are so expensive. Before, when his father was here, he used to do gymnastics and swimming. Now it’s £30-£40 per session. It’s tough for me.”Another widower, Mohammed Shoeb Iproliya, said the anniversary brought back memories of the life he and his wife, Nusratjahan, had been building together. “When I come back home she would be waiting at the door.” He said it was hard to put into words what losing that had meant.The couple had planned to buy a home and build a future together in Britain. “We had a lot of dreams,” he said. “All those dreams are broken now.”Like Patel and Shweta, he said he was still waiting for clear answers about the crash. “I only want justice,” he said.Patel said relatives had repeatedly pushed for more information about the investigation. “Even just provide us a little bit of updates,” he said. “We’ve not even heard the black box or anything like that.”For Parihar, the lack of closure has made it impossible to move on. “Still we don’t believe this happened,” she said. “Still we are in shock. Still at night we can’t sleep.”Patel travelled to India this week to mark the first anniversary of the crash, hoping that being there would bring “some sort of closure”.His message to others was simple: “Cherish your parents,” he said. “Not having them around is one of the most difficult things to deal with.”