Will they get their belongings back?

To be precise, Kutty asserts that each woman, especially those flying to attend weddings, must have had atleast 25 - 50 pawans of gold with them. The relatives of the victims, survivors, and the police are all sailing in the same boat of confusion. Either of them have been able to make an estimation of loss of gold, electronic goods, cash and other valuables the victims carried. Relocating the belongings of the survivors too has not been possible.

Kutty had brought nearly 10 pawans of gold with him which he has lost hopes of getting back. Similar is the case of Mohammed Basheer - Aboobakker Siddiq brothers, who lost their lives in the aircrash. Both of them were returning to their hometown in Uppala near Kasargod for their sister’s marriage. Their friend, S M Basheer said it is obvious that they might have bought gold ornaments for their sister, who was supposed to get married on May 23.

“Since both of them are not alive we cannot say anything on the quantity of gold they carried. The Air India authorities can find out the details of gold and other valuables entered in their passports,” he added.  Vishwas Talekal, a relative of Mahendra Kodkany, who died in the mishap, said that Kodkany used to wear a diamond ring. “When the body was identified there was only a burnt mark and there was no ring on his finger,” he added.

While, elite Shashi Punja‘s family was flying to attend a wedding in the family, Arun Kumar was flying to get married on June 2. Though it is expected that both these victims must have been carrying gold, their relatives are not sure of how much gold and valuables the deceased had with them.

One of the survivor Krishnan said he had bought a few gold coins for his children. “Now I do not know whether I will ever get them back,” he apprehended.  A forensic expert, who conducted postmortem on several bodies said he found nearly 150-300 grams of gold on two bodies.

At the police station

City Police Commissioner Seemath Kumar said luggage, gold ornaments and other valuables found from the mishap spot have been kept at Bajpe police station. All items recovered from the spot will be handed over to Air India authorities who will later intimate the relatives of the victims, he said and added that the process of mahazar is going on.

Sources in Police Department informed that there are nearly 40 luggage, about a score of mobile handsets, cosmetics, medicine, credit cards and five gold ornaments at the Bajpe police station. Some of the volunteers who had joined hands with rescue teams said ornaments were taken away by some men in uniform from the bodies, but they do not know where the gold was taken. DHO Dr H Jagannath said various hospitals, which conducted the postmortem have handed over ornaments to nearest police stations.