Couple related to Sardar Patel family perish in Dreamliner Crash
Vadodara: Among the victims of the tragic AI-171 Dreamliner crash were
Sunny Patel
(39) and Monali Patel (38)—a young couple from London with deep roots in Gujarat.
Monali, in particular, belonged to a family directly related to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India and country's first deputy Prime Minister.
Her great-grandfather Naranbhai Motibhai Patel was the brother of Jhaverba, Sardar Patel's wife, who hailed from Gana village adjoining Anand city. "We broke the news to Monali's mother only on Saturday morning," said Monali's cousin Jignesh Patel, who is the great-grandson of Chaturbhai Motibhai Patel, another brother of Sardar Patel's wife.
The couple came to Anand after a brief vacation in Thailand. In fact, they were initially scheduled to fly back on June 6, but postponed due to some reason, Jignesh told TOI.
The tragedy struck just hours after the couple had joyfully wished Sunny's father a happy birthday. "Happy Birthday, Dad… Enjoy your cruise." These were the last words they said to Nalinbhai Patel, Sunny's father, in a video call made on boarding the flight.
Nalinbhai, vacationing in Canada, has since cut short his cruise and is expected to arrive in Anand on Sunday to mourn the unimaginable loss.
Sunny hailed from Napad village in Anand and had built a stable life in Croydon, South London, where he ran a successful cash-and-carry store.
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Monali, who was especially fond of children, worked at a nursery school in the UK and was known for her warmth and gentle nature.
Vadodara: Among the victims of the tragic AI-171 Dreamliner crash were Sunny Patel (39) and Monali Patel (38)—a young couple from London with deep roots in Gujarat.
Monali, in particular, belonged to a family directly related to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India and country's first deputy Prime Minister.
Her great-grandfather Naranbhai Motibhai Patel was the brother of Jhaverba, Sardar Patel's wife, who hailed from Gana village adjoining Anand city. "We broke the news to Monali's mother only on Saturday morning," said Monali's cousin Jignesh Patel, who is the great-grandson of Chaturbhai Motibhai Patel, another brother of Sardar Patel's wife.
The couple came to Anand after a brief vacation in Thailand. In fact, they were initially scheduled to fly back on June 6, but postponed due to some reason, Jignesh told TOI.
The tragedy struck just hours after the couple had joyfully wished Sunny's father a happy birthday. "Happy Birthday, Dad… Enjoy your cruise." These were the last words they said to Nalinbhai Patel, Sunny's father, in a video call made on boarding the flight.
Nalinbhai, vacationing in Canada, has since cut short his cruise and is expected to arrive in Anand on Sunday to mourn the unimaginable loss.
Sunny hailed from Napad village in Anand and had built a stable life in Croydon, South London, where he ran a successful cash-and-carry store. Monali, who was especially fond of children, worked at a nursery school in the UK and was known for her warmth and gentle nature.
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