After eight days of uncertainty, the body of Deepak Pathak (34), a crew member of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed near Ahmedabad, was finally identified and brought back to Mumbai. His last rites were performed in Badlapur on Saturday, where a large number of residents and community members gathered to bid him a tearful farewell.
According to sources, initial DNA testing using his sister’s sample failed to confirm his identity. A second sample collected from his mother successfully matched, confirming the body as that of Deepak. His remains arrived in Mumbai at 12 a.m. on Saturday under police escort, accompanied by officials from Tata Group-owned Air India and members of a local political party. Although the family resides in Badlapur East, the final rites were performed in Badlapur West.
Many residents were seen in tears, asking, “Why did Deepak leave us so early?” The entire town of Badlapur appeared to be in mourning during his funeral.
Deepak Balasaheb Pathak, a 34-year-old cabin crew member, was among the 265 people who died when the London-bound Air India flight crashed near Ahmedabad on June 12.
Pathak lived with his wife Poonam and his parents in Katrap village, Badlapur. Known for his professionalism and warm personality, Deepak had called his mother on the morning of the crash, saying, “Mom, I’m leaving now,” along with his usual "Good morning" message — his last communication with the family.
His father, Balasaheb Pathak, a former employee of the Matunga railway workshop, had retired and relocated with the family to Badlapur around 15 years ago. Deepak attended a convent school in Parel and married four years ago. The couple did not have children.
After the crash, Deepak’s elder and younger sisters, Varsha and Shrutika, rushed to Ahmedabad. One of them initially provided a DNA sample, which did not match, prompting further testing using their mother's sample for confirmation.
