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37 years on, families of 1988 crash victims await ‘fair compensation'
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Ahmedabad: The AI 171 plane crash, among the deadliest aviation disasters in the country, has brought renewed attention to the unresolved struggles of families affected by the 1988 Ahmedabad air tragedy.
The Indian Airlines flight 113 from Bombay to Ahmedabad crashed on Oct 19, 1988, killing 133 passengers and crew of the 135 on board the aircraft. The families of the deceased were then offered Rs 2 lakh in compensation.
Today, nearly 37 years since the tragedy, around 20 families from Ahmedabad remain locked in a legal battle with authorities over what they consider inadequate compensation for their losses.
"We are around 20 families that are still fighting a legal battle for fair compensation.
After the tragedy, the authorities had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh per victim. We believe the compensation should be based on the income and age of the victims. So, after HC order, we moved the Supreme Court in April 2010 for higher compensation," said Pankesh Patel, secretary of the association formed by families.
According to the case details, in 2003, the sessions court had directed Indian Airlines (IA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) to give the petitioner families of the IA 113 victims a six per cent interest on the compensation amount.
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In 2009, the high court ordered this to be raised to nine per cent. However, the 20 families, organized under the Air Crash Claimants' Association, moved the Supreme Court in 2010, demanding a higher compensation based on the age and earning potential of their deceased relatives.
Ushaben Patel, now 74, had lost her husband Sharad Patel, a chartered accountant and company secretary who served as finance director for a German company.
Thursday's plane crash has reopened old wounds for her. "At the time of the 1988 crash, my sons Jaysheel and Milan were in Class 5 and Class 3 respectively. I raised them both with support from our families and they are both chartered accountants now, settled in Canada," she said.
"The compensation offered in the aftermath of the AI 171 tragedy is better than what we were offered," she added.
Reetaben Shah, 74, remembers her husband Sunil Shah, an IIM-A graduate who worked as a management consultant.
Their daughter was just 12 years old when the crash occurred. "We did not accept the Rs 2 lakh compensation and initiated legal action. We finally moved the Supreme Court," she said.
Ketan Patel, now 63, lost his father Ranjitbhai Patel, a 48-year-old chartered accountant, to the tragedy.
"We had demanded compensation based on his age and income, which was around Rs 1.25 lakh per annum at that time. It has been 37 years since the legal battle began and we are still awaiting justice," he said.
The families have created a lasting memorial at the Kotarpur crash site. "We installed a marble replica of an aircraft at the site," Ushaben Patel said. "Many families visit the site on Oct 19 every year to pay tribute to their loved ones." Working with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the families also set up the Shantivan, a memorial garden featuring 133 trees in remembrance of 133 people who lost their lives in the crash.
