Air India plane crash: What will happen to 70 tolas gold and Rs 80,000 that has been recovered from the crash site?

The Air India plane went down in Gujarat on June 12, 2025

About 70 tolas (800 grams) and  Rs 80,000 have been recovered from the site of the Air India plane crash in Gujarat. In addition to that, an almost intact Bhagvad Gita has also been recovered.

While the gold and the other valuables have been taken into government custody. But big questions over what will now happen to the valuables. The Indian law says that the items that are recovered from accident sites can be handled in a lot of ways.

The gold and the money that has been recovered from the crash site have for now been secured by the government and will be released after a rightful claimant is identified for the valuables.

However, if no one comes forward to claim the valuables, it will be deposited in the government treasury and eventually - it will belong to the government after a certain number of years. News18 reported that the government will get the ownership of the valuables mostly after a period of seven years.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi announced on June 15, 2025, that all recovered items would be identified and handed over to the closest relatives of the deceased. The identification of the legal heirs of those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash includes the DNA matching and documentary verification of the deceased persons.

The Indian w says that the valuables found at the accident sites will be transferred to the legal heirs of the deceased. This process is governed by the Hindu Succession Act for Hindus, Muslim Personal Law for Muslims, and the Indian Succession Act 1925 for Christians, News18 reported

Items that have been recovered from the crash site will be matched using passengers’ luggage details like passports, baggage receipts and tickets. Additionally, all information provided by the families of the deceased will also be used to identify the belongings.