An inquest into the deaths of eight Indians killed recently in one of the UK's worst road accidents in decades is set to open in Milton Keynes tomorrow, a statement said today.
All eight, believed to be Indians and British Indians, will be formally identified by the coroner during the proceedings at Crownhill Crematorium site, Dansteed Way, before the bodies being released to relatives, many of whom have travelled from India.
"The detailed process of identifying the eight bodies recovered from the scene of the M1 incident has now been completed and all have been identified. Post-mortem examinations have also been completed to confirm the medical cause of death," a statement from the office of the Coroner of Milton Keynes said.
The Senior Coroner for Milton Keynes will issue death certificates "as to the fact of death" and at the same time "release the bodies to the families", it said.
Three Wipro employees Karthikeyan Ramasubramaniyam Pugalur, Rishi Rajeev Kumar and Vivek Bhaskaran have already been identified by the Indian software company as among those killed in the August 26 deadly accident on a highway in Buckinghamshire when the mini bus they were travelling in got crushed between two large trucks.
Two lorry drivers Ryszard Masierak and David Wagstaff have since been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and are set to appear in court later this month.
Masierak has also been charged with being almost twice the legal drink drive limit at the time of the crash.
Thames Valley Police said they were continuing to support the families of those who died in the fatal collision on the M1 motorway near Newport Pagnell.
"Specially trained family liaison officers are continuing to update and inform the relatives of the eight people who died in the collision involving three vehicles," a police statement said.
Four people were taken to hospital following the collision with serious injuries, three of whom were in life- threatening conditions, and they all remain in hospital.
A man in his thirties, Wipro employee Mano Ranjan Panneerselvam, remains in critical condition; two women his wife aged in her thirties and mother in her fifties remain in serious but stable conditions; and a four-year-old girl also remains in a serious but stable condition.
The girl identified in media reports as Shravathi Ramasubramanian has lost both her parents in the accident and her relatives from India have flown down to be at her bedside at Birmingham Children's hospital.
Her father Karthikeyan had moved with his daughter and wife Lavanya from India to Nottingham in January with Wipro.
The Bengaluru-headquartered company said it would be assisting the families in repatriating the bodies.
"We will continue to provide all assistance to the families in this hour of grief," a spokesperson said.
Cyriac Joseph, the Kerala-born owner of Nottingham- based ABC Travels and driver of the minibus, was also among those who lost their lives in the highway pile-up.
The 52-year-old had been hired to take the group from Nottingham to London to set off on a European holiday.
UK music industry continue to face systemic barriers that hinder progress, visibility, and career growth – despite decades of contribution and cultural influence, a new report has revealed.
The study, South Asian Soundcheck, published last Tuesday (7), surveyed 349 artists and professionals and found that while many are skilled and ambitious, structural obstacles are still holding them back.
Prepared by Lila, a charity focused on empowering south Asian artists and music professionals, the survey showed that nearly three-quarters of respondents earn some income from music, but only 28 per cent rely on it full time.
More than half struggle to access opportunities or funding, and many said they lack industry networks or knowledge about contracts and rights.
Beyond structural issues, almost half said they face stereotypes about the kind of music they should make; two in five encounter family doubts about music as a career, and one in three has experienced racial discrimination.
Although 69 per cent said there was progress in visibility, but 68 per cent still feel invisible within the industry.
Respondents sought urgent action, including mentorship and networking opportunities, stronger south Asian representation in key industry roles and fairer access to funding.
Veteran musician and composer Viram Jasani, who chaired the Asian Music Circuit and led a national enquiry into south Asian music in 1985, told Eastern Eye the findings were “disheartening”.
“I read the report and my heart sank – it feels as though nothing has changed,” he said.
“Back in 1985, we had already identified the same problems and made clear recommendations for better representation, employment and long-term support. Four decades later, we are still talking about the same issues.”
Jasani, a sitar, tabla and tambura expert, said the report focused mainly on modern genres and overlooked traditional south Asian music, which he believes is central to cultural identity.
“Since colonial times, British attitudes have not changed much,” he said. “If they can erase Indian traditional culture and create a community that lives entirely within an English cultural bubble, then they will have succeeded.”
He added that young south Asian artists were often drawn to Western contemporary music, while neglecting their own heritage.
“We are brilliant in Western genres, but that should come after we are grounded in our traditional shashtriya sangeet (classical music),” he said. “Without that foundation, we lose our sense of identity.”
Jasani also warned a lack of unity within the south Asian community continues to weaken its cultural progress.
He said, “People compete with each other while the world watches. For too long, massaging egos has taken priority over producing the best of our culture.”
According to the survey, one in three has experienced direct racial discrimination. One respondent said, “There are virtually no visible and successful south Asian artists in the mainstream – people simply do not know where to place us.”
Another added: “I want south Asian artists to be part of the collective mainstream industry, not just put on south Asian-specific stages or events.”
While the visibility of south Asian artists has improved, with more names appearing on festival line-ups and in the media, the study revealed this progress remains “surface level”.
Lila’s founder, Vikram Gudi, said the findings show progress has not yet been translated into structural inclusion.
“The data exposes what we call the progress paradox. Seventy-three per cent of the people we surveyed earn some money from music, but only 27 per cent earn enough to rely on it as a sustainable career,” he said.
“The Soundcheck gives us the evidence to enact real change and identifies three essential needs – mentorship, representation, and investment.”
Three-quarters of participants said mentorship from experienced professionals would make the biggest difference to their careers. Many stressed the importance of being guided by people who “understand how the industry works and can connect them to decision-makers”.
Nearly the same proportion called for greater south Asian representation across the music industry – not just on stage, but within executive, programming and production roles at festivals, venues, record labels and streaming services.
Dedicated funding also emerged as a priority, with many describing the current grant systems as inaccessible or ill-suited to the diverse and cross-genre work that defines south Asian creativity today.
Two in five respondents reported that family or community resistance remains a challenge, often due to the perceived instability of a music career. The report argued this scepticism is “economically logical”, when there are so few visible south Asian success stories in the mainstream.
Responding to the report, Indy Vidyalankara, member of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and BPI Equity & Justice Advisory Group, said: “South Asian music is rich, vibrant, and hugely influential. We need south Asian representation at every level of the ecosystem, plus support and investment to match that influence.”
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.