Camilla Jessen
It’s one of the most unbelievable survival stories in modern history.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh’s survival from the deadly Air India crash that killed over 270 people stunned the world.
But just days after mourning the loss of his brother, the only survivor of Flight AI171 found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy.
Bollywood actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi faced intense criticism after publicly accusing Ramesh of fabricating his story.
Survivor Under Scrutiny
Ramesh, a 40-year-old father from Leicester, England, was the only known survivor of the crash that occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
The aircraft struck a nearby medical college hostel, killing all other passengers and at least 30 people on the ground. Ramesh’s brother, Ajay, was among the victims.
Despite the documented loss of his brother and images of Ramesh participating in the funeral in Diu, Krishnamoorthi posted on X questioning his account.
“So this #vishwaskumarramesh lied about bng [sic] a passenger on the plane & the only survivor?” she wrote. “Didn’t his family in the UK corroborate his story?”
In a second post—also later deleted—she made further unverified claims, questioning Ramesh’s mental state and referencing his brother’s funeral.
This was reported by Newsner.
Public Apology Amid Outrage
The actress soon deleted her tweets and issued an apology, writing: “Took out my last tweet on the Air India crash survivor. Seems to be false news circulated for God knows what reason. My apologies.”
However, many on social media were not satisfied.
“Apologize all you want, the damage has been done,” one user replied.
Others criticized her for spreading misinformation and called her actions “shameful” and “pathetic.”
A Miracle Survival
Ramesh had been seated in 11A, near an emergency exit.
He told DD News from his hospital bed that he walked out of the wreckage after the crash, helped by a bystander. Despite suffering injuries, he survived without needing to jump from the aircraft.
“I still can’t believe how I survived. I walked out of the rubble,” he said. “I am OK physically, but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay.”
Photos showed Ramesh carrying his brother’s coffin at the funeral, underscoring the emotional toll of his survival.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash. The aircraft’s black boxes have been recovered. One theory is that an emergency power generator may have activated during takeoff, possibly affecting engine function.
Meanwhile, Ramesh remains out of the spotlight, grieving and trying to process what happened.