Air India: Was Only Sole Survivor Arrested by Police and Handcuffed After Crash? Fact Emerges

Air India: Was Only Sole Survivor Arrested by Police and Handcuffed After Crash? Fact Emerges

  • Social media and Youtube video claim that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh faked his survival in the Air India AI-171 crash and has been arrest and handcuffed
  • However, verified reports and official records confirm that Ramesh was indeed a passenger and the sole survivor of the tragedy
  • This fact-check exposes the falsehood behind the viral arrest rumours and affirms the credibility of Ramesh’s account

Social media platforms and YouTube video have been flooded with claims alleging that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, was arrested and handcuffed for fabricating his presence on the ill-fated flight.

A widely circulated video on Facebook suggested that Ramesh had never boarded the aircraft and had concocted his survival story to gain public attention.

Air India Flight AI-171 survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was falsely accused of faking his presence on board, official records confirm.
Social media rumours about the arrest of AI-171 crash survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh have been debunked by verified sources. Photo credit: Hindustan Times/GettyImages
Source: Getty Images

However, a thorough investigation into the claims reveals that they are entirely false.

Fact Check: Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was on Air India Flight AI-171

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Multiple credible news outlets, including CNN and the Indian Express, confirmed that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was indeed a passenger on AI-171.

He occupied seat 11A, located next to an emergency exit, and survived the crash with minor injuries. Following the incident, Ramesh was admitted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for treatment and was later discharged.

After his recovery, Ramesh attended the funeral of his brother Ajay, who had also been on the flight but tragically did not survive.

See the video below:

Prime Minister’s visit confirms survivor’s identity

Further confirmation came from a video published by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on 13 June 2025, which showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Ramesh at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The video caption read:

“VIDEO | Ahmedabad Plane Crash: PM Modi meets Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the lone survivor who was onboard the ill-fated Air India flight AI-171, at the Civil Hospital.”

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PTI also reported on 18 June that Ramesh had been discharged and had travelled to Diu to attend his brother’s cremation.

No arrest or investigation: Official records disprove rumours

There are no official records from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) or the Ahmedabad police indicating that Ramesh was arrested or under investigation. No reputable media outlet has reported any legal action against him.

One of the most compelling pieces of evidence is Ramesh’s boarding pass from Flight AI-171, which he retained after the crash.

While in hospital, he presented the pass to media representatives, confirming his seat number and flight details. The Hindustan Times reported on this, and Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik verified that the seat assignment matched official flight records.

Celebrity misinformation and correction

Actor Suchitra Krishnamoorthi also contributed to the confusion by posting a message questioning Ramesh’s account.

She later removed the post and issued a correction after Ahmedabad Civil Hospital confirmed that Ramesh was indeed a passenger and survivor. According to India Today, he was discharged on 17 June to attend his brother’s last rites.

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Conclusion: False arrest claims refuted by verified evidence

The claim that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was arrested for lying about being on board Air India Flight AI-171 is demonstrably false.

Verified evidence from official sources, media coverage, and eyewitness accounts confirm that Ramesh was a genuine passenger and the only survivor of the crash.

He received medical treatment, was discharged, and attended his brother’s funeral, facts that stand in stark contrast to the misleading narratives circulating online.amesh at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Fact check reveals Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of the Air India AI-171 crash, not arrested as viral posts claimed.
Fact check reveals Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of the Air India AI-171 crash, not arrested as viral posts claimed. Photo credit: Air India/GettyImages
Source: Getty Images

Paramedic who witnessed tragedy shares observation about sole survivor

Legit.ng earlier reported that on June 12, Satinder Singh Sandhu, a paramedic supervisor with GVK-EMRI emergency ambulance service, was having lunch with colleagues at the 1,200-bed Medicity hospital in Ahmedabad when a deafening explosion shook the area.

Running outside, Sandhu witnessed a man emerging from the BJ Medical College hostel gates, engulfed in flames, as a fire raged behind him.

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The man was later identified as Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of London-bound Air India Flight AI-171, which had crashed into the hostel soon after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.

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