A father who is mourning the loss of his wife and only child in the tragic Air India disaster is facing deportation from the UK soon. Mohammad Sethwala, 27, suffered the heartbreaking loss of his wife, Sadikabanu Tapeliwala, 24, and their two-year-old daughter, Fatima, in the Air India Flight 171 crash last June, which claimed the lives of 242 individuals. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to Stansted, crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad and was engulfed in flames shortly after takeoff.
Despite his ongoing grief, Mohammad has been informed that his request to remain in the UK under “compassionate and compelling circumstances” has been denied. He arrived in the country in 2022 on a dependant visa linked to his wife’s status, but the visa expired seven months after her tragic passing. The family had established themselves in Ilford while his wife pursued studies in International Business Management at Ulster University in Holborn.
Mohammad recounted how he was at work when he received the devastating news of the plane crash from his father in India. Initially in disbelief, he later confirmed the tragic fate of his wife and child, leaving him with profound emptiness. He expressed his frustration at being deemed ineligible to stay in the UK due to not fitting the criteria for a bereaved spouse.
Currently, Mohammad is on “immigration bail” and is allowed to remain in the UK until April 22, after which he faces detention and deportation to India. He emphasized that returning to India would impede his ability to heal and move forward from the immense loss he has suffered, contrasting it with the possibility of starting anew in the UK if given the chance to stay.