Mohammad Shethwala's wife Sadikabanu and their two-year-old daughter Fatima died in the Air India crash in June 2025, according to multiple reports. The Home Office rejected his visa extension application on April 9, stating his situation did not fall under exceptional circumstances and that he could receive adequate mental health care in India. According to Metro - Main, Mohammad Shethwala described not accepting the decision and feeling unwell because of it.
Shethwala was dependent on his wife Sadikabanu for his British visa, as he arrived in the UK in March 2022 as a dependent on her student visa, according to reports. He applied to extend his visa on humanitarian grounds in December last year, citing his mental health deterioration and reliance on a support network of friends in the UK, according to his application. The specific humanitarian or compassionate grounds cited in his application have not been detailed publicly.
I am not accepting this decision from the government. I'm not feeling well right now because of this. I'm not accepting this decision.
The Home Office put Shethwala on immigration bail after rejecting his visa extension application, according to reports. According to Metro - Main, Musab Taherwala described that if Shethwala's wife had survived, he would still be allowed in the UK, and if his daughter had survived, he would have been granted indefinite leave to remain when she turned seven. The current status of his immigration bail and his legal options for appeal remain unclear.
The exact date and cause of the Air India crash, along with the total death toll and nationalities of victims, have not been confirmed in available reports.
He lost everything. Everything has been ruined. He's not able to talk about it properly. His mind is not working properly. His wife was supposed to be the main applicant for a skilled worker visa. If his wife had survived, he would still be allowed in the UK. If his daughter had survived, he would have been granted indefinite leave to remain when she turned seven, but she died as well.