New Delhi/Chandigarh, July 21: On the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Chandigarh University Chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP S. Satnam Singh Sandhu raised the issue of compensation to the families of BJ Medical College students who were killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12. The students were not onboard the flight—they were having lunch in their hostel mess when the aircraft crashed into the building, killing several students.
Responding to the query during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu clarified that no discrimination was made between victims inside the aircraft and those killed on the ground. “The Central Government and Air India did not differentiate between passengers and the medical college students. Equal compensation was extended to all families who lost their loved ones in the tragic incident,” the minister said.
Sandhu had specifically asked whether the government had offered compensation and any psychological or medical support to the bereaved families of the BJ Medical College students who died while having lunch in the hostel at the time of the crash. “The families are going through unimaginable mental trauma. Has any support been provided beyond financial relief?” he asked.
In reply, Naidu said, “From the beginning, we have made every possible effort to help every victim’s family—whether they were inside the plane or on the ground. Along with compensation, all efforts have been made to ensure support and a secure future for the affected families.”
The Air India Flight AI-112, a Boeing 777 aircraft, had taken off from Ahmedabad Airport when it suffered a critical engine failure, veered off its path, and crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel mess building, where students were gathered for lunch. The crash and subsequent fire led to the death of 260 people, including passengers, crew, and 19 people on the ground—many of whom were medical students.
Parliament saw repeated references to the incident during the day, with MPs cutting across party lines expressing concern over the safety of infrastructure near airports and the need for post-crash rehabilitation for victims’ families.
Sandhu thanked the minister for his assurance and urged the government to monitor the long-term welfare of affected families, especially those who were not even aboard the aircraft. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the students who perished in their own hostel are not forgotten,” he said.
The Ahmedabad plane crash has become one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent years, raising questions about airport safety protocols and the proximity of civilian infrastructure to flight paths.
