Arjunbhai Manubhai Patoliya, a resident of London originally from Vadiya in Gujarat, tragically lost his life in the recent Air India Flight AI171 crash on June 12, 2025.
Arjunbhai had been enduring a period of profound grief. His wife had recently passed away in London, leaving him as the sole caregiver to their two children. Honoring her final wish, he traveled back to India to perform her last rites in their ancestral village of Vadiya.
There, surrounded by mourning relatives, he completed the traditional besnu and funeral rituals with deep sorrow. Though heartbroken, he prepared to return to London to reunite with his children, who were waiting for him with hope.
However, tragedy struck again. While en route aboard Air India Flight AI171, disaster unfolded—the aircraft crashed, claiming Arjunbhai’s life. A father who had journeyed home to say goodbye to his wife never made it back to his children.
The heartbreaking loss has devastated both his family in India and his children in the UK, now left orphaned in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy.
