CHANDIGARH: 55-year-old Anju Sharma had been looking forward to reuniting with her elder daughter in London. But her journey ended in tragedy on Thursday, when she became one of the 241 victims of the Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Anju, originally from Ramsaran Majra village in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district, had moved to Vadodara years ago with her husband, Pawan Sharma, who worked in the oil industry.
A well-regarded presence in her community, she was also the sister of film actor Milan Sharma. While her elder daughter Nimmi lives in London, her younger daughter, Honey Sharma, is based in Vadodara.
Anju had recently visited Kurukshetra to spend time with her ailing parents — her father, Jagdish Sharma, a retired government employee, and her mother, Santosh Sharma.
Her cousin Vaibhav Sharma said, “She had come a few days ago to meet her parents. She got married in 1990, but she along with her husband shifted to Vadodara. A few years back, Pawan died... Before boarding the flight, she gave a video call to her parents and talked to them.”
The family said news of Anju’s death has not yet been shared with her parents due to her father’s fragile health. A family friend said Jagdish Sharma is bedridden and in a critical condition.
“We have not told him or her mother yet about this tragedy. But all the relatives are aware and are in touch with her younger daughter in Vadodara,” Vaibhav said, adding that the family is now deciding how to break the heartbreaking news to her parents.
The entire village is in mourning, with neighbours and relatives gathering at the family home to offer condolences. Loved ones remembered Anju as a warm, kind-hearted woman who was deeply devoted to her family.
After the news broke, family members rushed to Ahmedabad.
A DNA sample was taken from her younger daughter, Honey Sharma, to help confirm Anju’s identity. Her elder daughter, Nimmi, who had been waiting to receive her in London, immediately contacted her maternal uncle, Milan Sharma, upon learning of the crash.
