Air India crash: Protocols followed, says MEA after report claims British victims' remains bungled
The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday that the relatives of one victim had to abandon plans for a funeral after being told that their coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger. In another case, a family claimed to have received a casket with the 'commingled' remains of multiple persons.
The mix-up came to light when a coroner sought to verify the identities of the victims by matching their DNA samples with those provided by their families.
'Some have got the wrong remains and they are clearly distraught over this,' the Daily Mail quoted James Healy-Pratt, an aviation lawyer representing some of the relatives of those who died, as saying. 'It has been going on for a couple of weeks [and] I think these families deserve an explanation.'
In response to the report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government has been working with authorities in the United Kingdom 'from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention'.
The spokesperson added: 'All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.'
The foreign ministry said that identification of victims was carried out 'as per established protocols and technical requirements'.
Our response to media queries regarding a report in the Daily Mail on the Air India crash⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/pTWIIMSBhi pic.twitter.com/IP9QgLNuz7
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 23, 2025
Two hundred and forty-two persons were aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft – enroute to London's Gatwick airport from Ahmedabad – that crashed just 33 seconds after taking off on June 12. Only one passenger survived with ' impact injuries '.
The aircraft's crash into the hostel building of the BJ Medical College also killed at least 34 persons on the ground. This is being viewed as the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
8 hours ago
- News18
Ghislaine Maxwell Reveals ‘100 Different People' Linked To Epstein Under Immunity Deal: Report
Last Updated: Ghislaine Maxwell answered questions about 100 people linked to Epstein during a two-day interrogation. Serving a 20-year sentence, she seeks clemency from President Trump. Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney for the disgraced socialite claimed that she answered questions from Justice Department officials about around '100 different people" connected to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a two-day interrogation led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, where she was granted limited immunity. According to David Oscar Markus, his client, currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in Manhattan of federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in December 2021, was 'asked about every possible thing you could imagine – everything." 'This was the first opportunity she's ever been given to answer questions about what happened," Markus added. 'The truth will come out about what happened with Epstein, and she's the person who's answering those questions." Blanche had 'every single question" answered during the sitdown, Maxwell's attorney also said, with the British-born convict declining to plead the Fifth Amendment, the New York Post reported. 'If she lies, they could charge her with lying," Markus noted. A reporter countered, 'But didn't they charge her with lying?" referencing the two perjury counts that were later dropped by the prosecution after her conviction. 'No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits," Blanche posted on X Tuesday in announcing he would speak with Maxwell, the NYP reported. Maxwell, 63, is currently appealing her conviction and sentence, leading some legal observers to speculate that her cooperation may be an attempt to secure clemency from President Trump. Her attorney described the commander in chief Friday as 'the ultimate dealmaker" and claimed his client had 'been treated unfairly for the past five years" and 'didn't get a fair trial." 'We hope he exercises that power in a right and just way," Markus added. Trump, after landing in Glasgow, Scotland, told reporters that 'I don't know anything about the conversation" between Blanche and Maxwell because 'I haven't really been following it." 'This is no time to be talking about pardons," the president added after saying hours earlier while leaving the White House, that 'I haven't thought" about the idea. According to ABC News, Maxwell reportedly initiated the sitdowns with the DOJ and answered questions for roughly nine hours. The limited immunity granted to Maxwell protected her from having her statements used against her in future criminal proceedings, sources told the outlet. Proffer immunity is typically granted to individuals prosecutors want cooperation from in a criminal case. The Department of Justice, in 2022, questioned Maxwell's credibility, stating in court documents that she demonstrated a 'significant pattern of dishonest conduct" and refused to accept responsibility for her crimes. As per court documents, the prior year revealed that prosecutors never seriously entertained the prospect of offering the woman dubbed 'Epstein's madam" a plea agreement after the financier was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting his federal trial on Aug. 10, 2019. Markus noted that Epstein's attorneys had been informed that 'no potential co-conspirators would be prosecuted" as part of his talks with government lawyers following his July 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges. 'I don't think President Trump knows that the Justice Department took the position that that promise should not be upheld," he claimed. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi hinted in a February Fox News interview that federal investigation files on Epstein, including an alleged 'client list" of powerful associates, would be disclosed – but the release never materialised. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
9 hours ago
- The Print
Micronation drama unfolds, Westarctica's ‘grand duke' suspends Ghaziabad man as ‘representative'
'As an Honorary Consul, he was not authorised to create these items. The government of Westarctica, itself, does not utilise number plates or passports and we have never permitted or encouraged our representatives to do so themselves,' he said. 'Our deputy foreign minister Chris Watson is looking into the matter and we are fully cooperating with the legal authorities in India,' McHenry said in a statement on YouTube. He said Jain violated their rules by being in possession of passports, use of diplomatic number plates with the seal of Westarctica. New Delhi: Days after Ghaziabad-resident Harsh Vardhan Jain was arrested for running a fake embassy of 'micronations', the self-proclaimed grand duke of unrecognised micronation Westarctica, Travis McHenry, has removed Jain from the 'roster' of its 'diplomatic representatives' and said he will also face sanction from the 'crown'. The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) Tuesday evening raided Jain's rented bungalow in Ghaziabad which he'd been successfully passing off as the 'embassy' of 'Seborgia, Poulbia, Lodonia and Westarctica' for eight years. Fake passports in Jain's name including diplomatic passports with the name of the micronations, Rs 44.70 lakh in cash, along with other forged Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) documents were found by the investigators. Multiple ID cards, rubber stamps, luxury cars with 'diplomatic registration plates' were also recovered. A press statement hosted on a purported Westarctica website says, 'Westarctica was originally founded in 2001 by American citizen Travis McHenry while he was working as an intelligence analyst in the United States Navy. Mr. McHenry later incorporated Westarctica as a charitable corporation in 2014 and it was granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in 2018'. 'The organization's primary mission is advocacy for the environment of Western Antarctica, especially the West Antarctic Ice Sheet,' the statement adds. Also Read: Indians zoom past China on private jets, tale of the fake embassy & world's 2nd biggest IPO market 'Honorary consul' It also mentions that Jain (47) had in 2016 made a 'generous donation to Westarctica' and was subsequently invited to join their team of international volunteers who advance their environmental and charitable mission in their home countries. He then got the title of the 'Honorary Consul to India' but was never appointed its 'ambassador'. 'We are also conducting a full audit of our Honorary Consular Corps to ensure that no similar bad actors are present among our ranks. This unfortunate event, while casting a shadow over Westarctica's important environmental advocacy work, does not represent the values or spirit of our organization,' the statement added. 'As a result of his unauthorised activities, Mr. Jain has been indefinitely suspended as a representative of our organisation,' the statement said. The Westarctica website lists a prime minister, Duke of Steventon Brendan Cook, and says he was elected in 2023. It also mentions a foreign minister, a minister of communications, a minister of culture, a minister of citizenship and a minister of defense. Micronations are self-proclaimed entities that identify as sovereign States but aren't recognised by countries including India and even multilateral bodies, like the United Nations. Regardless, Microcons—summits of micronationalists— have been held. One such summit was held reportedly in 2015 where self-proclaimed kings, queens, dukes and barons of such micronations gathered. This meeting was hosted by the president of Molossia, reportedly their first world summit. Jain, as ThePrint had reported earlier, was a follower of the controversial self-proclaimed 'godman' Chandraswami who was also known for his proximity to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Jain, who allegedly had ties to the UAE-based international arms dealer late Adnan Khashoggi, is also linked to Turkish citizen of Indian origin Ehsan Ali Syed. According to the STF, Syed, a Hyderabad-born entrepreneur, is accused of financial fraud and was sentenced by a Zurich court to 6.5 years in prison for fraud and absconding after taking brokerage money in the name of getting loans for 16 companies. The late Chandraswami had allegedly sent Jain to London to meet Syed. Jain allegedly formed several shell companies in London in collaboration with him. Sources said Jain too was involved in these brokerage deals and had given donations to Westarctica with it. The STF said in a statement that Syed's company—Western Advisory Group, based in Switzerland and Bahrain—took a brokerage of 26 million pounds in the name of getting a loan of 70 million pounds to several Swiss-based companies between 2008 and 2011 and fled from there. On 22 November, 2022, the London police arrested him on the request of the Swiss government. On 4 July 2023, the Westminster court approved his extradition to Switzerland in the fraud case. Investigators said that multiple bank accounts including some overseas—six in Dubai, three in the UK, one in Mauritius—have been found linked to Jain. Moreover, authorities have also found trading companies run by Jain, used in financial crimes. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: 'Westarctica envoy' running Ghaziabad 'embassy' made 100 foreign trips in last 20 yrs—UP STF
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Emilie Kiser's hubby to face criminal charges in drowning death of son Trigg? Maricopa County Attorney's statement here
Influencer Emilie Kiser's husband, Brady Kiser, will not be charged with a crime in connection with the drowning death of their three-year-old son, Trigg, who breathed his last at Phoenix Children's Hospital on May 18. Brady Kiser was at home when Trig entered the backyard pool and was discovered unconscious, officials said.(Emilie Kiser on Instagram) The Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona made the announcement on Friday, almost two weeks after Chandler Police suggested filing a felony child abuse charge in relation to the May 12 incident. According to officials, Brady was at home when Trig entered the backyard pool and was discovered unconscious. Maricopa County Attorney takes decision on charges recommended against Brady Kiser 'Every case submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office is evaluated using the same standard: whether there is a 'reasonable likelihood of conviction,' said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in a statement, Daily Mail reported. 'After careful review of the evidence submitted by Chandler PD, it was determined this case does not meet that standard.' Also Read: Green Card holders received stark warning amid Trump's crackdown on immigrants A search warrant affidavit states that Brady admitted to investigators that he was preoccupied with the couple's newborn son, Theodore, and didn't see Trigg for a while. However, he found his 3-year-old unconscious in the pool when he looked for him. He then dialed 911. Officials claimed that surveillance footage from the house demonstrated how the drowning happened, but no other information was made public. In order to bring a child abuse allegation, prosecutors stressed that they would have to demonstrate that Brady failed to foresee a substantial and unacceptable risk and that his acts were a 'gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would show.' Brady Kiser's lawyer issues statement According to a statement from his lawyer, Flynn Carey, his client is fortunate that the matter was carefully examined and determined as an unfortunate accident. 'We are grateful to law enforcement and the county attorney for conducting a thorough investigation and confirming that this was a tragic accident.' Carey further asserted that Brady is still in the middle of his grief journey and is grateful to be with his loved ones as they heal together. 'We appreciate the compassion and support shown during this difficult time,' he added.
