The Ahmedabad plane crash is again making headlines after a family member of one of the victims claimed that he saw the pilot’s body in the mortuary and alleged that it was stiff, as if still gripping the plane’s yoke. He is from Gujarat and lost three members of his family in the Air India AI-171 crash.
The man, Romin Vohra, who lives in Kheda district, said he saw the body of the plane’s captain, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, in a position that looked as if he was still flying the aircraft. He claimed that the body appeared stiff, as though still gripping the plane’s yoke, when he saw it in the mortuary.
The Air India flight AI-171, which was going from Ahmedabad to London, crashed just minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 last year. The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, along with co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder.
Romin Vohra said the crash took away three members of his family, his brother, his brother’s daughter, and his aunt. He went to the mortuary the next day after the plane crash to identify their bodies.
Vohra, who works as a lab technician, said that because he belongs to the medical field and had some contacts, he was allowed to enter the mortuary area. He claimed that Captain Sabharwal’s body was kept separately from the other victims.
According to Vohra, the captain’s body was in a sitting position, making it appear as though he was still seated in the cockpit. He said that his hands looked as if they were still holding the aircraft’s control yoke (steering control). He also claimed that his legs were bent like a person sitting in a chair, while his arms were stretched forward.
Vohra said he first identified the captain’s body from the pilot’s uniform. Later, after seeing photographs of Captain Sabharwal, he became convinced that the body he saw was indeed the pilot’s.
Meanwhile, a US-based legal firm called Chiounuma Law, which says it represents the families of 115 crash victims, has demanded an independent investigation into the crash.
The firm’s case manager, Ayush Rajpal, said that if the report about the captain being found in such a position is true, it raises serious questions that should not be ignored.
He said investigators must look into every possible reason behind the crash, including technical problems, mechanical failure, electrical issues, and human error, instead of quickly blaming just one person.
The legal firm said the families deserve the full truth about what caused the tragedy, rather than a rushed conclusion that may protect powerful institutions or companies.
Also Read: Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash: 65 Families Who Lost Kin Hire US Law Firm https://www.vibesofindia.com/ahmedabad-air-india-plane-crash-june-12/
