A father, mourning the loss of his wife and only child in the tragic Air India disaster, faces deportation from the UK soon. Mohammad Sethwala, 27, suffered the devastating loss of his wife, Sadikabanu Tapeliwala, 24, and their two-year-old daughter, Fatima, in the fatal Air India Flight 171 crash last June. The incident claimed the lives of 242 individuals when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner they were on crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, erupting into a fireball shortly after takeoff.
Despite his ongoing grief, Mohammad discovered that his request to remain in the UK under “compassionate and compelling circumstances” was denied. He recounted arriving in the country in 2022 on a dependant visa, which allowed him to reside in the UK due to his wife’s primary status. The family had settled in Ilford while his wife pursued studies in International Business Management at Ulster University in Holborn. However, their permissions expired seven months following her tragic demise.
On the day of the plane crash, Mohammad had finished his early shift to collect his family from the airport when he received the heartbreaking news from his father in India. Initially in disbelief, he eventually confirmed the devastating reality. Learning that only one individual survived the crash, Mohammed expressed the profound emptiness left by the loss of his wife and daughter.
Despite efforts to appeal his deportation, Mohammed remains on “immigration bail” until April 22, when he faces forced return to India. He emphasized the injustice of his situation, highlighting that if his wife were alive, he would be allowed to remain in the UK. Mohammed’s plea to stay based on compassionate grounds was rejected, leaving him with a looming deportation that he believes will hinder his ability to heal and move forward.
