
In a shocking twist to the Air India AI 171 crash investigation, Chennai-based consultant Rene Joshilda falsely claimed she orchestrated the disaster (photo - videograb)
A Nation in Mourning: The AI 171 Crash That Shook India
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London crashed just seconds after takeoff, slamming into the hostel complex of BJ Medical College. The catastrophic impact killed 241 of the 242 people on board and at least 39 on the ground, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history.
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The aircraft had issued a distress call moments before the crash, citing a sudden loss of power. Investigators from India, the U.S., and the U.K. launched a joint probe, recovering the black box and initiating a full-scale review of Air India’s Dreamliner fleet. As the nation grieved, the focus remained on technical failures, pilot response, and regulatory oversight.
But just a day later, the narrative took a bizarre and disturbing turn.
The Email That Stunned Investigators: “We Crashed the Plane”
On June 13, BJ Medical College received a chilling email: “We crashed the Air India plane yesterday. You thought it was a hoax. Now you know we’re serious.” The message, which also warned of more attacks, was traced back to Rene Joshilda, a 27-year-old senior consultant at Deloitte, Chennai.
Joshilda, a robotics engineer by training, had already been under investigation for sending over 20 hoax bomb threats to schools, stadiums, and public institutions across Gujarat and 11 other states. Her motive? To frame a man she had been obsessed with Divij Prabhakar, who had recently married someone else.
Using fake email IDs in Prabhakar’s name, Joshilda sent threats to Geneva Liberal School, Divya Jyoti School, and even the Narendra Modi Stadium. But her most audacious claim was taking responsibility for the AI 171 crash, alleging that the pilots were “working for her.”
Cybercrime officials arrested her in Chennai after tracing her digital footprint through the dark web. During interrogation, she confessed to fabricating the threats and admitted she had no connection to the crash. Her goal, she said, was to ruin Divij’s life by implicating him in a national tragedy.
Fallout and Fury: A Nation Demands Accountability
Joshilda’s false confession has sparked widespread outrage. Families of the crash victims, already reeling from unimaginable loss, expressed anger over the emotional trauma caused by her hoax. “This is not just a crime it’s cruelty,” said a relative of one of the deceased passengers.
Legal experts say Joshilda could face charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal intimidation, impersonation, and terrorism-related offenses. The Cyber Crime Cell is also investigating whether she had any accomplices or used foreign servers to mask her identity.
Meanwhile, aviation authorities are under pressure to tighten security protocols not just in the skies, but in cyberspace. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced monitoring of digital threats and is working with intelligence agencies to prevent similar incidents.
The AI 171 crash has already prompted sweeping safety audits across Air India’s Dreamliner fleet. But Joshilda’s hoax has added a new dimension to the tragedy, one that underscores the growing threat of cyberterrorism and psychological warfare in the digital age.
Conclusion:
What began as a devastating aviation disaster has now become a cautionary tale of obsession, deception, and the dark side of digital anonymity. As India continues to mourn the lives lost in the AI 171 crash, the bizarre confession of Rene Joshilda serves as a grim reminder: in today’s world, the threats we face are not just mechanical or physical, they’re psychological, and often, disturbingly human.
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