Days before the Ahmedabad plane crash snuffed out his life in June this year, local filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala had made a promise to his ailing father that he would buy a house for the family after clearing all the debt.
Now, months after the tragedy, his 61-year-old father, Girdharbhai Jirawala, feels that even after his death, Mahesh ensured dignity for his family as the compensation they received following his death enabled them to clear off the mounting debt and purchase a house.
Mahesh Jirawala, 34, was one of the 260 people who were killed after an Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 this year.
The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 people onboard and 19 individuals on the ground.
Jirawala, who used to live in the Naroda area of the city, was one of the 19 individuals who were killed on the ground.
He was passing on a road near the hostel in Meghani Nagar area when the plane crashed and burst into flames.
When the incident took place, his father, Girdharbhai, who is now retired, was resting on a bed at their rented house in Naroda as he had suffered a heart attack nearly two weeks prior to that.
"I used to work as a diamond worker at a polishing unit. When I suffered a heart attack nearly two weeks before the air crash, Mahesh told me to retire and stay at home. Mahesh promised me that he will clear the debt and buy our own house before Diwali as he was expecting high income from his recent works," he said.
When the tragedy struck, the family of six used to live at a rented house in the Naroda area of the city. Mahesh, his wife Hetal, Girdharbhai and his wife along with Mahesh's younger brother Kartik and his five-year-old daughter were part of the family.
Mahesh had married Hetal just three months before the tragedy struck, said Girdharbhai, adding that Kartik had divorced his wife some time before that.
Following the incident, both Air India and its parent firm Tata Group disbursed Rs 1.25 crore to the Jirawala family. In addition, the state government paid Rs 4 lakh to Hetal as widow's compensation.
"From Rs 1.29 crore we received, Hetal took Rs 54 lakh and went to her parents house. From the Rs 75 lakh left with us, I cleared a debt of Rs 15 lakh and bought a house for Rs 45 lakh and fulfilled my son's wish. I spent Rs 10 lakh on furniture and kept Rs 5 lakh aside for Kartik's daughter," Girdharbhai said.
He added that Mahesh had planned to legally adopt Kartik's daughter when she turns six.
"Now, I am left with nothing out of that Rs 75 lakh, but I am happy that even after his death, my son ensured dignity for his family because I am not able to work any more due to my health, and we are dependent on Kartik's income of Rs 20,000 per month at present," he said.
© 2025