'Feels Unreal That He's No Longer With Us': Vijay Rupani's Kolkata-Based Cousin To News18

Last Updated:June 13, 2025, 17:36 IST

Rupani, who served as the chief minister of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021, was among the people killed in the Ahmedabad Air India crash on Thursday

Vipul fondly remembered Vijay Rupani as the pillar of their family, highlighting his warmth and generosity. File pic/News18

Among the casualties of Thursday’s horrific Air India crash in Ahmedabad was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, leaving his family and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in deep sorrow.

Vijay Rupani’s cousin, Vipul Rupani, who resides in Kolkata, spoke exclusively with CNN-News18, expressing his shock and grief.

“We first heard about the crash on TV news. Initially, we couldn’t believe it. We then reached out to the family, and it was devastating to have it confirmed. Some family members have already left for Ahmedabad, and we’ll be going shortly. There are a lot of formalities to take care of," he said, visibly shaken.

Vipul fondly remembered Vijay Rupani as the pillar of their family, highlighting his warmth and generosity. “He was like an elder brother to all of us—always helpful and cordial. Just last year, he visited Kolkata and spent more than three hours with us. We had such a wonderful time together. He was truly a gentleman and deeply committed to social work."

The London-bound Air India flight, AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB), carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.

In an early morning post on X at 12.41 am on Friday, Air India confirmed that 241 people had perished in the crash. A police official told news agency PTI that 265 bodies had been brought to the civil hospital. The plane had crashed into the mess area of a medical college hostel, causing what appears to be at least two dozen fatalities on the ground.

Expressing his profound grief, Vipul added, “We really don’t know how we’ll come to terms with this. It feels unreal that he’s no longer with us."

The untimely death of Vijay Rupani, a respected political leader and beloved family member, has left an irreplaceable void, according to his family. The entire Rupani family is struggling to accept the loss of their “big brother", and the mourning is expected to continue for days to come.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met the family of the former Gujarat CM in Ahmedabad.

“It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times. Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the Party’s ideology. Rising up the ranks, he held various responsibilities in the Organisation and went on to serve diligently as Gujarat’s Chief Minister," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Rupani served as the chief minister of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021, before resigning ahead of the 2022 state elections.

Kamalika Sengupta

Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar...Read More

Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar...

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