‘They going to be alive when they get to the US?'
'They going to be alive when they get to the US?'
Team TOI Plus
TIMESOFINDIA.COM
May 29, 2025, 15:44 IST IST
A US court has sentenced Harsh Patel, alias 'Dirty Harry', to 10 years in prison for running a smuggling ring that led to the deaths of four of a Gujarati family at the US-Canada border in 2022. His partner, Steve Anthony Shand, will spend six years and six months in jail. But despite global headlines the tragedy made, the illegal migration pipeline remains active
The sentencing of two men in a US court this week for a 2022 border crossing tragedy has delivered justice, but will it serve as a deterrence?
More than three years after four members of a Gujarati family — Jagdish Patel , 39, his wife Vaishali, 37, and their children, Vihangi, 11, and Dharmik, 3 — were frozen to death in a snow-covered field along the US-Canada border, the human smuggling pipeline that led them there continues to thrive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala's Death Confirmed In Ahmedabad Plane Crash; Here's What Happened
The confirmation of Mahesh Jirawala's death has come as a shock to the Gujarati film community and his fans. Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, widely known as Mahesh Jirawala, has been officially confirmed dead in the recent Ahmedabad plane crash. He had been reported missing near Shahibaug on the day of the incident, sparking concerns about his safety. However, if recent reports are to be believed, a burnt Activa scooter registered to Jirawala was discovered at the crash site. This raised suspicions of his involvement in the crash. His mobile phone was also last tracked to the same location before it went off, further pointing to the likelihood that he was among the victims. These findings ultimately helped confirm his tragic demise in the accident. DNA test results have also confirmed his identity. Initially, Jirawala's family was initially unwilling to accept the body, since they could not believe that the filmmaker had passed away in a tragic way. However, after police presented strong evidence, including his Activa's number and the DNA report, the family agreed to claim the body. The confirmation of Mahesh Jirawala's death has come as a shock to the Gujarati film community and his fans. Mahesh, who was also the CEO of the production house, Mahesh Jirawala Productions, was known for directing advertorials and music videos. He has a number of music videos to his credit, primarily in the Gujarati language. The filmmaker had also directed the 2019 film, Cocktail Premi Pag Of Revenge, starring Asha Panchal and Vruti Thakkar in lead roles. For the unversed, on June 12, Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The incident resulted in the death of 241 out of the 242 people on board, leaving only one survivor. Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X and wrote, 'UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital." First Published:
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Missing Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala confirmed dead in Ahmedabad plane crash; family claims body after DNA match
The tragic death of Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, popularly known as Mahesh Jirawala , has been officially confirmed following the devastating Ahmedabad plane crash. Initially feared missing after the incident, his identity was verified through a DNA test, bringing a heartbreaking end to the family's search. According to Divya Bhaskar, a burnt Activa scooter registered to Jirawala was discovered at the crash site near Shahibaug, leading authorities to suspect his involvement. His mobile phone was also last traced to the crash location before it was found switched off, further strengthening the suspicion. Family in denial at first, accepts body after forensic confirmation While early clues pointed to Jirawala being among the victims, his family initially refused to accept the body, struggling with shock and disbelief. It was only after police presented strong forensic evidence—including the Activa's chassis number and a confirmed DNA report—that the family accepted the tragic reality. The Ahmedabad crash has resulted in 231 confirmed DNA matches so far, with 210 bodies already handed over to grieving families. Among the deceased are 155 Indian nationals, 36 British citizens, seven from Portugal, one Canadian, and nine locals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Stunning 2-Bed Senior Houses: Take A Peek Inside! GoSearches | Search Ads Undo A familiar face in Gujarati entertainment Mahesh Jirawala, a resident of Naroda, was known for his work in Gujarati-language music videos, advertorials, and regional cinema. He served as the CEO of Mahesh Jirawala Productions and often shared glimpses of his professional life on Instagram. In 2019, he directed the regional film Cocktail Premi Pag Of Revenge, featuring Asha Panchal and Vruti Thakkar. Jirawala is survived by his wife Hetal and their two children—a daughter and a son. Raveena Tandon's Air India Post Sparks Outrage Days After Crash | Tone-Deaf or Tribute? India mourns one of its worst air disasters The Ahmedabad plane crash, which occurred earlier this week, has been described as one of the deadliest aviation tragedies in recent history. A total of 241 people—including passengers, crew, and civilians on the ground—lost their lives in the catastrophic event. Among the victims were individuals from various nationalities, underscoring the global scale of the tragedy. The lone survivor, identified as 40-year-old British businessman Vishwas from Leicester, remains in critical care but stable, according to reports.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Wrong place, wrong time: Filmmaker's life ends in Ahmedabad Air India inferno
Ahmedabad: Mahesh Kalavadia , a 35-year-old Gujarati film producer and director, left his house in Naroda for Shahibaug on his scooter on the afternoon of June 12. He did not return. Anxious, his family filed a missing complaint with the police. No one expected him to be in the area where the London-bound Air India flight crashed the same day. After all, Shahibaug is about 9 km from Meghani Nagar, the site of the plane crash. With all the missing complaints coming over, the police requested the family to provide their DNA sample for a worst-case scenario. The sample matched one of the burnt down bodies recovered from the crash site. Kalavadia indeed was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But his family could not accept it. As the police went on to look for more, they came across a charred scooter and retrieved its engine and chassis numbers which they asked the family to match with that of Kalavadia. They too matched. "Accepting such a loss for any family is incredibly difficult," says Kanan Desai, deputy Commissioner of police, Zone 4, Ahmedabad. "So we produced all the evidence other than the DNA report, including CCTV footage of the nearby area and the engine number and so on." The family performed his last rites at the Naroda crematorium on Friday morning. Sitting by the Civil Hospital morgue a day after the crash, Suresh Patni, an auto driver, had told ET how his son, Akash, who was at a tea stall near the crash site perished in the fire that engulfed the area. Two others who stopped by on a scooter for a cup of tea were also caught in the fire. Kalavadia is believed to be one of those two men on the scooter. As on Friday, more than 231 DNA profiles of the crash victims have been matched. Authorities have so far contacted 220 families and handed over the bodies of 210 victims: 155 Indians, 36 Brits, seven Portuguese, a Canadian and another 11 who were not passengers of the plane. Two people died during treatment.
