- By Aarushi Raina
- Mon, 16 Jun 2025 04:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, known as Mahesh Jirawala in the Gujarati film industry, has been mysteriously missing following the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that occurred on June 12. The aircraft crashed into the hostel complex of a medical college shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Out of the 242 people on board the London-bound AI171 flight, only one person managed to survive the tragic crash; the rest lost their lives. After seeing the victims' deaths, the filmmaker's family got worried when he didn’t return home on Thursday. In a desperate bid to locate him, his family submitted DNA samples.
Mahesh Kalawadia, a resident of Naroda and known for directing music albums, went to meet someone in the Law Garden area that afternoon. His wife, Hetal, shared details with news agency PTI about what happened before he went missing.
"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," she said.
Mahesh's last location raised suspicions, which led his family to submit DNA samples.
"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," his wife informed.
Grief-stricken families are gathering at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to collect the remains of their loved ones who perished in the Air India plane crash. After DNA sampling, the hospital is handing over the bodies, enabling their loved ones to pay their respects and bid farewell.
According to officials at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, DNA samples of 87 individuals have been matched so far. Consequently, 47 bodies have been released to the families of the victims, PTI reported.
