Ahmedabad plane crash: Gujarat Ex-CM Vijay Rupani's mortal remains identified, probe gathers pace
Ahmedabad (PTI): The mortal remains of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani have been identified through DNA test, officials said on Sunday, as investigations into the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad intensified.
Various central and state government agencies, led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), were at the crash site here for a probe into the causes of the country's worst air disaster in three decades.
So far, 32 victims have been identified and the mortal remains of 14 handed over to the relatives, additional civil superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reporters, as the process to identify the deceased through DNA tests gained pace three days after the tragedy.
Rupani was among the 241 passengers killed in the horrific crash. One out of the 242 persons on board miraculously survived.
"The DNA sample of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani matched (with that of his family members) today morning at 11.10 am," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi told reporters in Gandhinagar.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met the family members of Rupani and informed them about the DNA match, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said.
"Thirty two DNA samples have matched till now, and 14 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from Udaipur, Vadodara, Kheda, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Botad districts," said Rajnish Patel, professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8(AI171) and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed in the plane crash on Thursday.
The London-bound aircraft came down moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport before falling inside the nearby campus of the medical college in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad and going up in flames.
An AAIB team is leading the investigations and they are here for the last three days, a senior state police official said.
Various central agencies and the state police are assisting in the probe into the horrific tragedy.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani said the black box recovery was a very important part of the investigation process.
"When the investigation started, the black box had to be recovered. The black box is either in the front or in the back. In this case, the tail end was not destroyed and it was stuck in the first building (of BJ Medical College hostel)," the official said.
"The AAIB requested us that cranes, labourers and engineers be provided. The AMC immediately acted and the black box was also recovered," Pani said.
City Police Commissioner G S Malik also reached the accident site on Sunday morning.
"Around 270 bodies have been brought to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital so far from the plane crash site," BJ Medical College's junior doctors association president, Dr Dhaval Gameti, told PTI.
The central government on Saturday set up a high-level multi-disciplinary panel to ascertain the "root cause" of the plane crash and assess any contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error and regulatory compliances.
The panel, headed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, was mandated to give its report in three months.
As many as 230 teams were formed to coordinate with the victims' families, officials earlier said.
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Here's how netizens, media outlets projected Ashwini Kumar's bomb threat as 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi'
Mumbai: Mumbai was thrown into panic late on Thursday night when police received a WhatsApp message warning of a large-scale terror attack during the Ganesh festival. The message, written in the name of a jihadi group called “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” claimed that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai with 400 kilograms of RDX loaded in 34 vehicles.
It warned of blasts that could kill as many as one crore people. Authorities immediately declared a high alert, and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch while the Anti-Terrorism Squad and other security agencies were put on standby.
Within hours, the threat made national headlines. Television channels and online portals reported the possibility of a terror strike, repeatedly linking the message to Pakistan-based groups.
The incident was projected as yet another attempt to destabilize Mumbai, and the supposed involvement of a jihadi outfit quickly gained traction across the media. However, a swift investigation by Mumbai Police traced the origin of the message to a very different source.
By Saturday, police had tracked down and arrested Ashwin Kumar Supra, a 50-year-old astrologer and Vastu consultant living in Sector 79 of Noida. Originally from Patna, Kumar admitted during interrogation that he had sent the message using the name of his former friend Firoz. In 2023, Firoz had lodged a fraud case against him at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna, leading to Kumar’s three-month imprisonment. Seeking revenge, Kumar attempted to frame Firoz by posing as a jihadi terrorist. Police recovered his mobile phone, SIM cards, and other digital devices used in the hoax.
When the threat first came to light, social media was flooded with heated reactions. Journalist @Manju_IBNews wrote, “Another election around the corner!” while user @kv_mcu posted an aggressive comment demanding to “ban Islam and burn the Quran,” calling for mass deportations and tying the incident to culture and religion. In response, @RIMMS51979 countered sharply, saying, “Caller Name is Ashvini kumar what will you burn now.” Another user, @Valkyrie00777, questioned the credibility of the threat, pointing to contradictions in the claim that 14 terrorists had entered India with 34 bombs and 400 kilograms of RDX. Meanwhile, @Liberal51601607 remarked, “Terrorists have no religion.. Anyone..?”
Fact-checkers also weighed in. @zoo_bear (Mohammed Zubair) accused NDTV of omitting crucial context, posting: “Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him.” The fact-check website Aazad Fact Check (@AazadFactCheck) published a detailed rebuttal, saying the story had quickly evolved into a propaganda tool. It noted that the supposed intelligence about “human bombs in vehicles” was technically flawed and described the entire sequence as “a pure example of Indian narrative building before a false flag operation.”
Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him. https://t.co/17nZxYOrql
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 6, 2025
After Ashwini Kumar’s arrest, the tone of the online conversation shifted sharply. Activist @ShabnamHashmi posted, “Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred. Stop the Hate factory! Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang.” Journalist @indscribe (Shams Ur Rehman Alavi) observed that newspapers splashed the initial threat on front pages but buried the arrest details inside. “When the guy gets caught, the same newspapers don't publish his photo, relegate it to page 14 or reduce it to a single column… Interest gone after ‘name’ found,” he wrote.
Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred
— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) September 6, 2025
Stop the Hate factory !
Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang pic.twitter.com/IzpLjWVJgu
Other users highlighted systemic and political angles. @shfique13 argued that there are now “two laws” in the country—one protecting those aligned with the government and another used to suppress truth-tellers. @SoodRajive claimed the episode was staged, alleging Kumar had been paid to frame a minority and calling it “a staged toolkit drama.” User @hussain2577 wrote sarcastically, “Such an innocent n bright person. Plzz grant him bail, Garland him, Give him BJP membership form.” Another account, @Sangliyana, remarked, “Risking his life just to frame a Muslim boy. This is what 11 years corrupting mind.” Finally, @rsbisht__ argued that Kumar’s only aim was to trap Firoz, linking it to what he described as rising hatred against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh under the Modi and Yogi administrations.
