Vadodara: Exactly one year after the Air India AI171 crash claimed 260 lives, a UK coroner may soon have to decide whether unidentified human remains linked to the disaster should be buried or cremated, as the identity of an “unidentified male” victim remains unresolved.The issue has come to light through UK-based Miten Patel, whose parents, Ashok Patel, (74) and Shobhana Patel (71), were among those killed when the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.A coroner is a government or judicial official in the UK responsible for investigating deaths that are sudden, suspicious, unnatural, or occurred under unexplained circumstances.The mystery surfaced after Shobhana Patel’s remains were repatriated to the UK. During post-repatriation examinations, a CT scan revealed that her casket contained additional skeletal remains. Subsequent forensic analysis established that while Shobhana Patel’s remains were present, the casket also contained remains belonging to another male victim of the crash.A UK inquest has now been opened into the death of the unidentified man, Miten told TOI.During a hearing this week, Westminster Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said authorities had sent palm prints and DNA samples to India to identify the victim. But to date, there is no confirmation of his name, describing it as “obviously very unusual” to open an inquest nearly a year after the death.Speaking to TOI, Patel said the coroner cannot hold the remains indefinitely.“The coroner has opened the inquest, and there is only a limited period left for authorities to identify and contact the family. Otherwise, a decision will have to be taken on burial or cremation in accordance with legal requirements and the person’s faith,” he said.The discovery added another painful chapter to Miten’s family.After learning of the crash, he travelled to Ahmedabad and provided DNA samples at Civil Hospital. Additional DNA samples were later submitted in the UK as part of the identification process. His father’s remains were identified first, followed by those of his mother, and both were repatriated to Britain.However, after the arrival of his mother’s remains, authorities informed him that scans had detected additional skeletal fragments in the casket. Patel said police initially asked him not to discuss the matter while investigations continued.“I said to them, look, I would sincerely request that you separate my mother from whoever else,” Patel recalled.Further testing confirmed that the additional remains belonged to another male victim. The discovery forced the family to delay funeral rites by about a month so that Ashok and Shobhana Patel could ultimately be cremated together.Patel said the unidentified remains have since become the subject of correspondence between authorities in India and the UK. He has written to multiple agencies, including through official govt grievance channels, seeking clarity on the identification process and the handling of victims’ remains after the crash.Patel said he understands the immense challenges involved in identifying victims after a mass-casualty disaster of such magnitude. “But there still needs to be transparency and accountability, because the families deserve it,” he said.
