By News18
Weeks after the Air India-171 plane crash killed 241 people onboard in Ahmedabad, the families of the victims have accused the airline of pressuring them during the initial compensation process, alleging that they were being threatened with 鈥渘o compensation鈥 if they failed to complete a questionnaire provided by the company.
They have also claimed that they were forced to sign papers disclosing their financial dependency on the deceased member of their families in an alleged attempt to cut compensation payments.
This comes weeks after all but one of the 242 passengers and crew members on board the ill-fated flight from Ahmedabad to London died in a crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner moments after the aircraft took off.
A UK-based law firm, Stewarts, has been officially hired by families of more than 40 passengers 鈥 both in the UK and India 鈥 who died in the crash. The firm is working with Nanavati and Nanavati, a law firm in Ahmedabad, to support Indian families in assisting in their claims against Air India, Boeing, and other potentially responsible parties, an official said.
The law firm, in a statement, said that its clients were told by Air India that they have to complete a questionnaire to receive an advance payment, 鈥渇orcing them to fill out this questionnaire in intense heat with no guidance on the terms and questions within it鈥.
鈥淲e have now heard that Air India is following up with families and pressuring them to complete the questionnaire under threats of receiving no compensation,鈥 the statement said.
This questionnaire is reportedly required just to get an advance payment.