Ghatkopar plane crash: Battling tears, anger, relatives bid victims adieu

The police did not conduct DNA tests as the bodies were identified by the relatives.

Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed as the police handed over the bodies of the five victims of Thursday’s Ghatkopar plane crash to their relatives. The police did not conduct DNA tests as the bodies were identified by the relatives.

Prabhat Kathuria, the husband of one of the victims, Marya Zuberi, breaks down at Rajawadi Hospital. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

Co-pilot Marya Zuberi’s husband Prabhat Kathuria broke down as her body was brought out of Rajawadi hospital. As the body was taken for the last rites to a kabristan in Govandi, the family recalled how, while leaving from her Mira Road home, Zuberi was sure that the flight may not be tested in bad weather. They alleged that nobody from the company got in touch with them.

“We learnt about the incident from media reports. They didn’t call or inform us,” said Zuberi’s uncle, Gauhar Raza, a former scientist with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, adding, ““A detailed, transparent inquiry must be conducted to check if any rules. The perpetrators should be taught a lesson. We are in shock. We will take legal action after giving it a thought.”

Captain Pardeep Singh Rajput’s, 49, family said he had spoken to his wife before the take-off. “His 18-year old son, Chand, learnt about the crash when he was checking the fight schedule on his phone,” said Kulwinder Chauhan, his brother-in-law, who lives in Kandivli, who was the Ghatkopar crematorium.

Surabhi Gupta’s relatives took her body to Delhi. “Some of the staff members were present at the funeral,” said Vijay Chaturvedi, uncle of technician Manish Pandey.

(With inputs from Krishnang Nadgauda)