Silent Heroes in Khaki: Tireless Police Efforts After AI 171 Crash Draw Praise
In the aftermath of the tragic crash of AI 171, it wasn’t just first responders and medical teams who sprang into action. Over 2,000 personnel from the city police force silently took on one of the most challenging operations of their careers—saving lives, maintaining order, assisting investigations, and ensuring dignity for the deceased and their families.
Within minutes of the crash, more than 1,000 police officers were deployed to the crash site and surrounding areas. They played a critical role in supporting rescue operations and assisting aviation investigation teams in securing the crash zone. In coordination with emergency responders, they created green corridors for the rapid movement of over 290 ambulances to ferry the injured to hospitals, a move that is believed to have saved numerous lives.
Even days after the incident, nearly 700 police personnel continue to remain on duty. Their roles now include overseeing the respectful handover of bodies to grieving families, helping victims and their relatives recover personal belongings, and ensuring law and order as investigators continue their work. Officers have been working in 24×7 shifts, with many choosing to remain on duty despite personal challenges and emotional strain.
As part of the legal inquest process, the city police formed 45 teams comprising 10 inspectors and 200 constables who worked tirelessly through the night to conduct panchnamas. These legal documents were vital for carrying out prompt postmortems and collecting DNA samples, a process essential for identifying victims in a disaster of such magnitude.
Police Commissioner GS Malik visited the crash site on Sunday to review the status of the investigation. He also oversaw the handover of critical evidence samples to aviation authorities, including black box data and cockpit communication records, as police maintained a secure perimeter to ensure nothing was disturbed.
The effort didn’t stop there. The city police coordinated with forensic teams from across Gujarat. Around 36 DNA experts—from institutions in Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot—were brought in. Among them was a young forensic expert who postponed his mother’s scheduled heart surgery to contribute to the mission. Eight women experts from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), some of them mothers to toddlers, worked non-stop, helping match DNA samples round-the-clock.
In another example of quick thinking and community support, the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) headquarters nearby stepped in to provide cloth for use as shrouds, as most bodies were charred beyond recognition and needed immediate respectful covering. These impromptu shrouds became a symbol of the humanity that permeated the difficult operation.
The coordinated effort of law enforcement officers has been widely praised for not only enabling a swift rescue and investigation but also for showing compassion and sensitivity in one of the darkest moments the city has witnessed.
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