More than a week after the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the search for missing persons continues. One such case is that of film producer Mahesh Kalavadia — also known as Mahesh Jirawala — whose whereabouts remain unknown. His last known mobile location was traced to just 700 meters from the crash site. Despite ongoing rescue and identification efforts, Mahesh has yet to be found.

On June 12, the London-bound Air India flight crashed into the Meghnagar Medical College campus shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM. The horrific accident claimed the lives of 241 passengers, one crew member, and 29 people on the ground.

According to his wife Hetal, Mahesh had gone for a meeting near Law Garden earlier that day. "At 1:14 PM, he called to say the meeting was over and he was heading home. But when he didn’t return, I tried calling again, and the phone was switched off," she said. His phone’s last ping was recorded at 1:40 PM — just one minute after the flight took off — placing him 700 meters from the crash site.

The family is puzzled by the fact that Mahesh’s route home was different from usual. Both his scooter and mobile phone are missing. His family suspects he may have been one of the ground victims of the crash and has submitted DNA samples to authorities in hopes of identification.

Despite searches in local hospitals and public appeals with posters, Mahesh remains untraceable. His family is anxiously awaiting the results of the DNA match.

Officials involved in the investigation stated that the condition of the bodies recovered from the site is severely damaged, making visual identification impossible. So far, DNA analysis has helped identify 87 victims, with 42 of them handed over to their families. The process continues for the rest.

As the Kalavadia family waits for answers, their hope remains focused on one question: was Mahesh among the unidentified victims, or is he still out there somewhere?