Two young girls, aged 4 and 8, have been left orphaned after their father, Arjun Patoliya, died in the Air India plane crash on July 12, just two weeks after their mother, Bharti, passed away from cancer.
Arjun, a 37-year-old British national, was visiting India to fulfill his late wife’s final wish of scattering her ashes in her hometown of Gujarat. Tragically, on his return journey, the plane crashed less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all 270 people on board. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The girls now face life without both parents within a very short time. To support them, a GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over £576,000, which will be managed by a legal trust or appointed guardians to ensure the money goes directly to the girls’ care.
Arjun’s mother, Kanchan Patoliya, said she or her younger son, Gopal, will take care of the children. Gopal has already arrived in Ahmedabad, and the family is planning the next steps after completing necessary rituals. Kanchan is prepared to travel to London if needed to care for her granddaughters.
