India on Wednesday dismissed a British media report that alleged two UK families received the wrong bodies of their relatives who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, calling the claims baseless and asserting that all procedures were carried out with full professionalism.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded strongly to the report published in the Daily Mail, which quoted unnamed families claiming the repatriation process had been “horrifically bungled.”
“We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.
The Daily Mail report referred to the tragic Air India crash on June 12 that resulted in the deaths of all 241 people onboard, including 53 British nationals. The paper alleged that bereaved families were experiencing further trauma due to misidentified remains being sent back to the UK.
“In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements,” Jaiswal noted, underlining that standard international procedures had been followed.
“All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased. We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue,” he added.
The government’s response comes amid growing speculation over how victim identification and repatriation were managed after the deadly crash. Indian officials have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring transparency and cooperation with British authorities to resolve any remaining concerns.
(With PTI inputs)
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