AI-171 plane crash: No pressure to accept settlement, Air India tells daughter of ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani
Days before the first anniversary of the Air India-171 flight crash in Ahmedabad, Air India has written a letter to Radhika Rupani, daughter of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was among the 260 victims of the disaster. In its letter, the airline told Rupani that there was no pressure on the relatives of the victims to accept the company’s full and final compensation amount within a certain time frame.
“Our final compensation offer did not set any timetable for acceptance. Families are completely free to wait until the investigation report is published, as some have chosen to do,” the airline wrote to Rupani. NDTVaccessing the letter.
Radhika Rupani had earlier written to N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, demanding ‘transparency’ and ‘answers’ from the company.
In her letter, Radhika alleged that Air India, owned by Tata Sons, had sent documents requiring families accepting this compensation to waive all future and existing claims of Air India.
“The investigation is not yet complete, but the document requires the families to permanently waive their current and future claims before all the facts are known. We deserve more than compensation. We deserve answers. We deserve transparency and, above all, closure,” he wrote in his letter, according to the publication.
But the airline argued that families should not feel obliged to accept the compensation they offered. Victim families can choose to either accept the financial support provided by the company or wait until the final report of the investigation is released. the company said.
Air India’s letter to Radhika said, “There is absolutely no reason why the families should feel under pressure to choose between immediate financial support and waiting for the investigation report. Following the accident, Air India immediately started paying interim compensation. This was aimed at meeting the immediate financial needs of the families while a longer process was ongoing to assess the final compensation.”
On June 12, 2025, the AI-171 crash caused 260 deaths. The incident occurred shortly after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad and headed towards London’s Gatwick airport.
The airline also explained what this meant in the Receipt, Release and Compensation document, which must be signed by the victims’ families: “The general wording is only to ensure that final compensation agreements are truly final and to protect Air India from any future direct claims (from other family members) or indirect claims (from equipment manufacturers, suppliers, etc.) despite the families reaching a final agreement with Air India.”
Rupani’s son remembers his father
Former Gujarat CM’s son Rushabh Rupani told reporters on Wednesday that his family is finding it very difficult to cope with the sudden loss of his father.
“My father is remembered in countless little moments… This is not easy for anyone. We, as a family, have lost a guide, mentor and guide,” Rushabh Rupani told reporters. PTI.
“What matters is how we preserve these memories and direct that energy in a positive and constructive way for the betterment of society,” he said.
Rushabh says his family has set up a foundation for public welfare in memory of his late father.
“To channelize his memories and ideals in a positive way, we have established the ‘Shri Vijay Rupani Memorial Foundation’ in Rajkot. The aim of this foundation is to work for youth and women empowerment and social development,” he said.
“Following the ‘Antyodaya’ philosophy defined by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and inspired by my father’s thoughts, we aim to adopt a society-centered approach rather than a self-centered one,” he added.
He said the foundation will serve in the education sector, healthcare, youth development and women welfare initiatives.
