June 21, 2025: Days after the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 270 lives, DNA analysis has officially confirmed the death of Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala, who had been missing since the incident on June 12.
Authorities identified Mahesh after DNA samples provided by his family matched one of the bodies recovered from the crash site. Police and medical officials stated that Mahesh’s mobile phone location placed him near the crash site shortly before the accident occurred.
Initially, the family was reluctant to accept his death, given the severe fire caused by the crash, but the confirmation came after forensic DNA testing matched the family’s sample with a charred body found at the scene.
Further investigations revealed a completely burnt two-wheeler at the crash site, later identified as Mahesh’s scooter through chassis and engine number verification.
The remains of the filmmaker have now been handed over to his family.
Mahesh’s wife, Hetal, shared details of his last known movements: “My husband called me at 1:14 PM to say his meeting was over and that he was on his way home. When he didn’t return, I tried calling him, but his phone was switched off. Police later informed me that his mobile’s last location was about 700 meters from the crash site, and it switched off around 1:40 PM, just a minute after the flight took off.”
She added, “His scooter and phone were missing, which is unusual since he would never take that route home. We submitted DNA samples to confirm if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash.”
The Air India Delhi-Ahmedabad-London flight disaster has left a deep impact, with over 270 people—including passengers and locals—losing their lives in the tragedy.