NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Montgomery, AL , August 13, 2025: Nearly two months after losing his mother in the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, Hir Prajapati has taken the fight for justice across continents. Prajapati, whose mother, Kalpana Ben Prajapati, perished when the aircraft went down on June 12, has filed a lawsuit against Boeing in a U.S. federal court, citing delays in India’s judicial process.
“In India, trials can get dragged on for years,” he said. “We need answers now.”
Prajapati has engaged the Montgomery, Alabama-based aviation law firm Beasley Allen, with attorney Mike Andrews leading the case. Andrews, who represents over 65 families of victims from India and the UK, attended a candlelight vigil in Ahmedabad on August 12 to mark the crash’s two-month anniversary.
The lawsuit seeks access to raw data from the aircraft’s black box — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — to establish the cause of the disaster. Families fear that delays in releasing the information will hinder efforts to hold the responsible parties accountable.
“Transparency is critical,” Andrews told reporters. “We must ensure that grieving families are not left in the dark, and that blame is not shifted onto pilots without evidence.”
The move to file suit in the U.S. comes amid speculation that a technical or manufacturing defect may have contributed to the crash. If proven, Boeing could face a product liability claim in the United States, which often offers swifter and more comprehensive legal recourse than is available in India.
Under the Montreal Convention, families may also pursue claims against Air India, but Prajapati’s legal team believes the American route offers the best chance of a timely resolution.
Air India Flight AI-171, operating on the Ahmedabad–London route, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, killing all passengers and crew on board. The investigation by Indian authorities is ongoing.
#WATCH | 12th June Air India plane crash: Hir Prajapati who lost his mother – Kalpana Ben Prajapati, in the crash has moved US Federal Court against Boeing.
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025
He says, "We have hired Mike Andrews. We expect the raw details of information from the black-box to come before us at the… pic.twitter.com/dhkDnKIX8P
