Air India has rejected Vijay Rupani's daughter's claim that families of victims of the AI-171 crash are being pressured to sign legal waivers in exchange for compensation, clarifying that there is "absolutely no deadline or pressure" on anyone to accept its final settlement offer.Rupani, Gujarat's former Chief Minister, was among the 260 victims that were killed in an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.Also read: Vijay Rupani's daughter accuses Air India of pressuring crash victims' families to waive legal rights In a statement issued in response to concerns raised by some families, the airline said relatives are free to wait for the official investigation findings before deciding whether to accept compensation."There is absolutely no deadline or pressure on any family or individual to accept our offer within a set timeframe," Air India said. The airline also sought to clarify that the wording in its Receipt, Discharge & Indemnity (RDI) document is intended only to ensure that compensation settlements remain final and to protect the airline from future claims, not to shield manufacturers or other third parties from potential legal liability.Air India said it remained "deeply saddened by the loss of life and suffering caused to numerous families and individuals as a result of the tragedy of AI-171" and acknowledged that "financial compensation can never make up for the loss of a beloved family member."'No pressure' to accept immediate compensationAddressing concerns about compensation timelines, the airline said it had deliberately not imposed any deadline for accepting final compensation offers. According to the statement, families who wish to wait for the findings of the official probe are free to do so."Families are entirely free to wait until the investigation report has been released, as some have chosen to do," the airline said.However, it noted that the investigation is being conducted independently by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and that Air India has no information on when the report will be released.The airline said it began the final compensation process in October 2025, after most interim compensation payments had been completed, following requests from families who wished to proceed. Claim forms were subsequently sent out, and the airline has been engaging with families that chose to enter discussions on compensation.Also read: Vijay Rupani's daughter urges Air India to drop compensation waiver requirementThe Tata-owned carrier also said it had taken steps to ensure families were not forced to choose between immediate financial assistance and waiting for the investigation report."In the aftermath of the accident, Air India immediately started disbursing compensation on an interim basis. This was intended to meet the immediate financial needs of families, whilst the longer process of assessing final compensation got underway," the statement said.The airline added that the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust, established by the Tata Group, had provided ex gratia assistance of Rs 1 crore to nearly all families who lost relatives in the crash.Airline explains indemnity clauseResponding specifically to concerns over the language used in the Receipt, Discharge & Indemnity document, Air India said the wording follows standard industry practice."The wording used in the RDI mirrors the usual approach commonly taken by airlines, both internationally and in India, in such circumstances," the airline said.The carrier further denied that the document was designed to protect aircraft manufacturers, suppliers or other third parties from legal action."Air India has no interest whatsoever in shielding any third parties from their legal liability," the statement said.It explained that in aviation accidents, passengers or their families may pursue compensation directly from third parties such as equipment manufacturers. In such cases, those third parties can subsequently seek claims against the airline."As such, the reason for the broad wording is only to ensure that settlements of final compensation are indeed final, and to protect Air India from receiving any direct claims (from other family members) or indirect claims (from equipment manufacturers, suppliers etc.) in the future, despite families having entered into a final settlement with Air India," the airline said.Reiterating its position, Air India said families continue to have the option of waiting for the investigation findings before signing the RDI, while those who wish to proceed with compensation are free to do so."As mentioned above, families that wish to await the results of the investigation before entering into the RDI are entirely free to wait. Equally, those families who wish to proceed with final compensation have the flexibility of choosing to do so," the statement said.