A profound wave of grief engulfed a quiet corner of Juhu Koliwada today as the mortal remains of Saineeta Chakravarti, a beloved Air India cabin crew member who perished in the recent Ahmedabad plane crash, arrived at her family home. The air was thick with sorrow, punctuated by the heart-wrenching wails of her inconsolable mother, who repeatedly cried, “Forgive me, Beta,” as she struggled to come to terms with the devastating loss of her daughter.
Saineeta, 35, was among the 241 souls lost in the tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash that occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. Her untimely demise has left a void not just in her family’s lives but also deeply affected the close-knit community of Juhu Koliwada, where she was known for her vibrant spirit and dedication.
The scene at the Chakravarti residence was one of immense tragedy. Relatives, friends, and Air India colleagues gathered to offer their condolences, their faces etched with shock and sadness. Saineeta’s mother, Reema Chakravarti, was visibly distraught, her cries echoing the unbearable pain of a parent losing a child. Despite efforts by family members to comfort her, her grief remained raw and overwhelming. “She was so full of life, so many dreams,” a tearful relative shared, reflecting the collective despair.
Sources close to the family revealed that Saineeta had only recently joined Air India, having previously worked with another airline. She was reportedly a significant financial support for her elderly parents, a fact that adds another layer of hardship to their already immense sorrow. Her father, a chronic asthmatic, had reportedly learned of the crash through television news reports and had stoically tried to shield his wife from the devastating truth, but to no avail.
The arrival of Saineeta’s remains in Mumbai, after DNA matching confirmed her identity, marked a grim closure for the family. The last rites were performed at the Hindu crematorium in Santacruz West, attended by over 200 mourners. Her father, Abin Chakravarti, performed the final rituals, his quiet struggle to contain his grief a poignant counterpoint to his wife’s profound anguish.
The tragedy of AI171 has cast a long shadow over many homes across Mumbai and beyond. From Powai, where Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s 82-year-old father is grappling with the loss of his son who was nearing retirement, to Dombivli, where the promising life of travel influencer and crew member Roshni Songhare was cut short, the stories of loss are countless and deeply personal. Families endure agonising waits for DNA match reports, with many still waiting to receive the remains of their loved ones.
As the city mourns, the focus remains on supporting the bereaved families and ensuring that the victims receive the dignity and respect they deserve. The aviation community, too, is grappling with the magnitude of the disaster, promising thorough investigations to prevent such heart-rending incidents in the future. But for families like the Chakravartis, the pain of “Forgive me, Beta” will echo for a lifetime, a searing reminder of a life lost too soon.