A grieving father who lost his wife and only child in the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash is now facing deportation from the United Kingdom within days, after his application to remain on compassionate grounds was rejected.
Family Tragedy and Visa Expiry
Mohammad Sethwala, 27, came to the UK in 2022 on a dependant visa linked to his wife Sadikabanu Tapeliwala, 24, who was studying International Business Management at Ulster University in Holborn. The family had settled in Ilford, building a life together with their two-year-old daughter Fatima.
In June last year, their world shattered when Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Stansted, crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff, killing all 242 people on board. Mohammad's wife and daughter were among the victims.
"I Have Nothing Left"
Speaking to The Sun, Mohammad described the profound emptiness following the tragedy. "Just months ago, the apartment had been loud filled with the sound of nursery rhymes. I have nothing left," he said. "I lost my child, my wife. Everything."
On the morning of the crash, Mohammad had worked an early shift so he could pick up his family from the airport. He received a call from his father in India breaking the news. "I thought it must be a different plane," he recalled. "It couldn't be theirs, but it was."
Immigration Battle
Mohammad's dependant visa expired seven months after his wife's death, as it was tied to her primary status. He applied to remain in the UK under "compassionate and compelling circumstances," but this request was denied last week.
According to his solicitor, he did not qualify under the bereaved spouse category because his wife's death resulted from a plane crash rather than natural causes or other circumstances typically covered by immigration rules. "This is a rare event where a plane crash has killed a resident UK visa holder," the solicitor explained.
Deportation Deadline Looms
Mohammad is currently on immigration bail and can stay in the UK only until April 22. After that date, he faces detention and forced return to India.
He expressed deep concern about returning to India, where he believes he cannot escape his grief. "If my wife was still alive I would be allowed to stay," he said. "I came to the UK and spent money on this visa, we paid for my wife's university, and I have worked years of my life here. I will not be able to escape my grief back home. But here I can begin to move forward."
Broader Context
The Air India Flight 171 crash remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent years, with only one survivor, Viswashkumar Ramesh. The incident has raised numerous questions about aviation safety and immigration policies for families affected by such tragedies.
Mohammad's case highlights the complex intersection of personal tragedy and strict immigration regulations, where exceptional circumstances may not always align with existing legal frameworks.
