Indian authorities mishandle Air India crash victims’ remains, say UK families

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Negligence continues even in death as wrong remains sent to grieving relatives

Indian authorities are facing serious questions after multiple families in the United Kingdom received the wrong remains of loved ones who died in Air India crash.

A British lawyer representing 20 affected families said the repatriation process has been marred by shocking errors and DNA mismatches.

The crash, which killed 241 people aboard a London bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner shortly after take off from Ahmedabad on June 12, has now taken another distressing turn.

According to James Healy Pratt, a lawyer for several British families, “the first two caskets repatriated contained DNA that did not match either of the individuals they were meant for.”

Air India Crash Victims’: ‘Other remains were found in the casket’

Healy added that one grieving family only discovered the error after a British coroner raised concerns.

“The coroner determined that one particular loved one was not who the family believed they were,” he said. In one case, Miten Patel, whose mother Shobhana Patel died in the crash along with her husband, told the BBC that “other remains” were found in her casket.

With 52 British nationals and 169 Indian passengers among the dead, this incident is being seen as one of the worst aviation tragedies in terms of UK fatalities in recent memory.

What has amplified the grief is the Indian administration’s inability to ensure a respectful, dignified, and accurate repatriation process.

The mishandling of remains reflects a disturbing pattern of mismanagement in the wake of the crash.

Critics have already been questioning India’s civil aviation safety protocols following multiple recent Air India incidents, and this latest case only adds to growing international embarrassment.

Indian officials have so far not issued a formal explanation regarding the mix up in remains.

With only one known survivor from the crash and investigations ongoing, affected families are now demanding accountability not just for the crash, but also for the trauma caused by administrative negligence.

Read more: Fake embassy in India exposes loopholes in Indian law enforcement

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