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

Shweta and her husband, Abhinav Parihar. Abhinav died in the Air India crash View image in fullscreen Shweta and her husband, Abhinav Parihar. Abhinav died in the Air India crash ‘I only want justice’: bereaved families seek closure one year on from Air India crash Relatives of those killed on flight AI171 are still struggling to obtain answers about what happened W hen Sagar Patel’s mother boarded 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.’” View image in fullscreen Hasumatiben and Sagar Patel. ‘She was my rock,’ Sagar said of his mother He 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 Air India while seeking information about the crash. “They are still being victimised, even one year after the crash,” he said. View image in fullscreen Shweta Parihar with her 11-year-old son For 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 t