DNA tests identify 247 victims of Ahmedabad plane crash
A total of 247 victims of the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash have been identified through DNA tests so far and 232 bodies have been handed over to kin, officials said on Saturday. The Gatwick-bound Air India AI171 aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel complex in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar on June 12.(Bloomberg)
The London-bound aircraft crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm that day, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board.
One passenger survived. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition as the aircraft burst into flames or damaged on impact.
"Till Saturday evening, 247 DNA samples have matched. Relatives of these deceased were contacted. So far, mortal remains of 232 victims have been handed over to families. The process is continuing," Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi said.
The 247 victims who have been identified comprise 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian, said Joshi.
Of the 187 Indians, a total of 175 were on board the ill-fated aircraft, he said, adding they belong to areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu and Nagaland.
The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification.
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Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
247 DNA matches completed, 232 bodies handed over
A Tired of too many ads? go ad free now hmedabad: Civil Hospital authorities announced on Saturday the completion of matches for 247 persons deceased in the AI171 aircraft crash that took place on June 12 in the city. The figure is higher than the 241 persons who died onboard the aircraft, including 229 passengers and 12 crew members. The crash had only a lone survivor in Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who miraculoulsy escaped even as several lives were lost on the ground. The 247 deceased identified so far through the DNA matching process include 175 Indian nationals, 52 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. It also includes 12 non-passengers. Dr Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, said that 232 mortal remains have been handed over to the relatives for last rites so far. "Of the 15 bodies whose DNA has been completed, three bodies have not been received by families as they await DNA match of other family members lost in the plane crash. Six bodies have been prepared for being handed over to their families for the onward journey while families of six victims are expected to arrive on Sunday to claim the mortal remains," he said. "Out of the total, 23 mortal remains have been flown out of the city, whereas the rest are transported to crematoriums or their native places by road." Sources said that based on the figures released earlier, out of 61 foreign nationals on the flight, 60 have been identified, whereas the identification of a British national is still awaited. With all 12 'non-passengers' identified — believed to be the 12 crew members. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sources added that more than 95% of the persons aboard the ill-fated AI 171 are identified. "Only a few DNA matches are yet to be completed. The process is taking longer due to the nature of the samples, which are highly charred, and extraction of DNA is difficult. However, the teams have managed to use the technology to the optimum and improve the detection rate significantly even in challenging cases," said a state official.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad plane crash: 247 victims identified through DNA tests; 232 bodies given to kin as of June 21
A total of 247 victims of the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash have been identified through DNA tests so far and 232 bodies have been handed over to their families, officials said on Saturday (June 21, 2025). The authorities have asked the families of eight victims to submit the DNA samples of another relative, as the previous ones failed to match, they said. Police said the matching of DNA samples confirmed that Ahmedabad-based filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala, who was reported missing following the crash, died in the catastrophe. His mortal remains were handed over to his family. In Maharashtra, relatives and friends gave an emotional farewell to Deepak Pathak and Irfan Shaikh — two crew members of the ill-fated flight — at Badlapur in Thane district and in Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune city respectively. The London-bound aircraft crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 p.m. that day, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board. One passenger survived. Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition as the aircraft burst into flames or damaged on impact. 'Till Saturday evening, 247 DNA samples have matched. Relatives of these deceased were contacted. So far, mortal remains of 232 victims have been handed over to families. The process is continuing,' Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Rakesh Joshi said. The 247 victims who have been identified comprise 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian, he said. Of the 187 Indians, a total of 175 were on board the ill-fated aircraft, he said, adding they belong to areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu and Nagaland. The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification. The families of eight victims have been asked to give a sample of another relative for DNA tests after the first one did not match, Dr. Joshi said. 'Unless there is a match, bodies cannot be handed over to the kin. When there is no match for a longer period of time, then you can ask for another sample from another relative. If one sibling has given the sample, then a sample of another sibling is sought for matching the DNA with that of the victim,' he said. 'We generally prefer a sample of father or son/daughter. If not, then we take a sample of another available member,' Dr. Joshi added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Organised crime knows no boundaries, fosters terrorism & wrecks economy: Bombay HC
Nagpur: Organised crime is not limited by borders and has a devastating impact on the country's economy and internal security by enabling , Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court observed while overturning a lower court order that denied police custody of a member of a crime syndicate. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke, while granting seven-day police custody to , 33, under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), said, "organised crime is a serious threat to society and is fuelled by illegal wealth generated by contract killing, extortion, narcotics trade, ransom kidnappings, money laundering, and protection rackets." The court rejected the special MCOCA court's May 3 ruling, which denied police custody on the limited ground that the probe was focused on tracing bank accounts and property. Justice Joshi-Phalke said the special court failed to consider crucial aspects of the investigation, including the accused's ongoing role in a larger organised crime syndicate. "MCOCA can be invoked even if direct crime involvement is absent, but syndicate nexus is established," the judge said. "Black money generated by organised crime has had a serious adverse effect on our economy. These syndicates have made a common cause with terrorist gangs," the court said, while affirming that MCOCA empowers agencies to intercept communications and pursue complex networks that threaten national security. The court was hearing a revision plea filed by the state against the lower court's refusal to grant police custody. Yadav was arrested in a March 14 assault case registered in Yerla, Kalmeshwar, where he and a co-accused allegedly attacked a man with a sickle. Though the case was initially registered under Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), further investigation revealed a pattern of serious, repeat offences allegedly committed for pecuniary gain — prompting the application of MCOCA. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The prosecution submitted that Yadav had at least nine criminal cases against him, with seven still pending. "He is a repeat offender operating for economic gain. His actions fit the definition of continuing unlawful activity under MCOCA," the state counsel contended, while urging custodial interrogation to investigate deeper links within the crime syndicate. The high court agreed, stressing that even if an individual may not have committed a particular act of organised crime directly, their nexus with a syndicate or with repeated unlawful acts could still justify invoking MCOCA. "A nexus with the crime syndicate is enough to attract the Act," Justice Joshi-Phalke said, citing Supreme Court's precedent in the Ranjitsing Brahmajeetsing Sharma case. She ruled that police must be given a fair opportunity to probe syndicate structures, pecuniary trails, and unlawful activities under the wider framework of MCOCA. "In light of the legislative intent, denial of custody would amount to frustrating the purpose of the law," the court said while quashing the lower court's orders. Key Takeaways from Bombay High Court Ruling MCOCA can be invoked even if direct crime involvement is absent, but syndicate nexus is established. Illegal wealth and black money generated by organised crime has had a serious adverse effect on our economy. Crime syndicates have made a common cause with terrorist gangs Lower court erred by focusing on financial investigation grounds for police custody. Continuing unlawful activity with pecuniary motives qualifies under MCOCA. Seven prior pending cases against the accused supported the State's plea Police must be allowed custodial access to probe deeper syndicate links.
