Filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala among victims of Ahmedabad plane crash, DNA confirms

Days after the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed over 270 people, the death of Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala has been officially confirmed through DNA analysis.

The filmmaker, who had been missing since the June 12 plane crash incident, was identified after DNA samples collected from his family matched one of the bodies recovered from the crash site.

According to police and medical authorities, Mahesh was last traced to the vicinity of the crash site, with his mobile location placing him near the scene shortly before the accident.

Although the family was initially unwilling to accept that he had died in the fire caused by the crash, confirmation came when DNA testing matched their sample with a charred body found on-site.

Further investigation revealed that a two-wheeler, recovered completely burnt from the crash site, belonged to Mahesh. This was verified using the



chassis and engine numbers of the vehicle.

The filmmaker’s remains have now been handed over to the family.

Mahesh's wife said police told her his phone was last traced 700 meters from the crash site and switched off just a minute before the flight took off.

"My husband called me at 1.14pm to tell me his meeting is over and that he is on his way home. However, when he did not return, I called up on his phone but it was switched off. After police was intimated, the last location of his mobile phone showed he was 700 metres away from the crash site," Hetal had told PTI.

"His phone got switched off around 1:40pm (a minute after the ill-fated flight took off). His scooter and mobile phone are missing. All this is unusual since he would never use that route (as per the last location) to come home. We have submitted DNA samples to check if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash," she added.