Indian authorities sent the wrong ruins to the British family where their loved one was killed in a plane crash last month, their lawyers argued that their relatives considered the human costs of the world’s most fatal aviation accident in 10 years.
At least two British citizens were found to have been misidentified after being deported, according to James Healy Pratt, an international aviation lawyer representing the victim’s British relatives.
In one case, the London coroner discovered that the DNA of several bodies had been conspired with one of the cas, Healy Pratt told British news agency PA media.
Dr. Fiona Shaw “picked up the DNA abnormality” when the body was first repatriated, Healy Pratt said.
“My understanding is that the conspiracy was very early on, and I warned Dr. Wilcox to the fact that she had to be 100% enthusiastic about checking the identification of the ruins that came in,” the lawyer added.
“She was then able to determine that a particular loved one was not the person she thought her family was,” Healy Platt said.
All but 242 passengers and one of the crew were killed on June 12 after Air India lost momentum and was attacked by a densely populated area of Ahmedabad in western India.
The London-bound aircraft barely left the runway at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It then became out of control and focused on BJ Medical College and hospital hostels.
Authorities have yet to announce the decisive cause of the crash, but preliminary reports suggest that fuel control in the cockpit of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been switched, suggesting that the engine has been stripped of power.
According to an evaluation by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released last week, audio recordings from the black box can be heard asking the other person why they turned the switch over. The other pilots replied that he didn’t.
After a while, the switch was turned over to restore the fuel supply. Both engines were released, and one began to “go to recovery,” but it was too late to stop the tumultuous plane.
Of the people on board, at least 169 were Indian nationals, seven were Portuguese and one from Canada. The only survivor was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, one of the 53 passengers in the UK that day.
Relatives of the three victims said they were “deeply bothered” by Wednesday’s revelation and urged authorities to act with “care, coordination and respect.”
“Recent developments have only confirmed what many people are afraid of. There may have been serious mistakes and the dignity and rights of the victims and their families are not as protected as they should have,” they said in a statement.
Akel Nanbawa, his wife Hannah Vorajee and 4-yer-Dear’s rivalry
Daughter Sarah Nanabawa added that they received “the right body” “with confidence” but they are still “deeply troubled by what this means to other families looking for certainty and closure.”
“This is not just a personal tragedy. It’s a collective tragedy.”
According to a spokesperson, India’s foreign ministry “had been working closely with the UK from the moments of these concerns and issues.”
Authorities have implemented the identification of victims using “established protocols and technical requirements,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post in X on Wednesday.
“All fatal ruins were treated with the utmost professionalism and with full respect for the dignity of the deceased,” Jaiswal added. “We continue to work with the UK authorities to address concerns related to this issue.”
The incident came shortly after a meeting in London between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Kiel’s priority.
Healy Pratt, who calls for “financial justice” from his family, said he believes the allegations will be on the agenda for this week’s consultations.
