‘A part of us is gone’: Former Indian student in UAE secretly booked flight to return for good hours before UK bike crash

Sharjah: Close friends of Jefferson Justin, a former Indian expat student in the UAE, are heartbroken and have paid emotional tributes after he died in a tragic motorbike crash in the UK. Their grief has deepened with the discovery that the 27-year-old had secretly booked a flight to return home for good—just hours before the accident.

Fondly called Jeff, Jefferson was a graphic designer who had studied in Sharjah and later in the UK. He died on Friday after his bike skidded and hit a wall in Leeds. On that very morning, he had booked a flight to Dubai for September 17, his childhood friends revealed to Gulf News.

Jeff had chosen to share the news of his return with only his father and two closest friends.

“That was our last conversation,” said Rahul Sivaji, Jefferson’s friend since third grade. “He told me and Kevin (another best friend of Jeff) about the ticket in our group. As always, I was going to pick him up from the airport, and we were planning to surprise everyone, especially his mum.”

“He was actually leaving the UK for good. He had crazy plans. He didn’t want to work anymore. He wanted to start something of his own. He’d always say, ‘Stop working for others and do your own thing.’”

Jeff’s vacation here in January was when all his childhood friends reunited and celebrated his birthday.

For the September trip, he had other plans. “The plan was, like, as always, I’d book a room, and then when they all come, he’d be coming with me and surprise everyone,” said Rahul.

Riding for passion

Friends recalled that Jeff had several passions and lived life to the fullest on his own terms. After dance, rapping, and tattoos, bike riding had become his latest passion, but it wasn’t about speed or thrill-seeking.

“He was not into powerful bikes,” said Dinoop Suresh, another friend who went to school with Jefferson.
“He liked countryside rides and posted videos of his trips captured by his helmet camera on Instagram. It was all about the experience and he had a special account for that called Zen Ride.”

Jefferson had also found a dealer to sell his bike, friends confirmed. His final plan was to spend some time in Dubai, then head to India to explore creative pursuits.

For Kevin Alexander, another of Jefferson’s closest friends, the pain runs deep.
“Jeff was more than a friend to me. He was like a brother. We started off as neighbours in Sharjah, playing football on the streets,” said Kevin, a sales advisor at a global logistics company in Dubai.

“We were roommates in Leeds for six months. Even after we moved into separate places, we were always in touch. Every weekend we would hang out. Now I’ve to just learn to walk this path without my brother by my side,” said Kevin, who relocated to Dubai just a few months ago.

Always smiling

Jeff’s childhood friends now living in different countries have also shared emotional tributes.
“Jeff wasn’t just our best friend. He was our brother,” said Saurav Ajith, who is still in the UK and helping Jefferson’s family with legal formalities.

“He brought life and laughter wherever he went. He had this rare energy that made you feel like anything was possible. It’s hard to imagine life without his smile and his jokes. But I know he’d want us to keep smiling, keep showing up for each other, and never stop living fully.”

Dinoop, a business development manager in Dubai, said it has been almost impossible to find a single photo of Jeff without a smile.

“He was the kind of guy who brought the energy. Dance, drama, football—he was always at the centre of things. Super talented and always game for anything. His smile genuinely lit up every room. That’s not just something people say—it’s who he was,” said Dinoop.

'A part of us has gone'

Another close friend, Harikrishnan, who lived with Jefferson in the UK before relocating to India, described him as “a rare soul whose presence could light up lives.”

“Adventure was his heartbeat, and bikes were his passion. He had so many talents—singing, dancing, designing. Losing him so early is heartbreaking. I’ve lost someone who was more than a friend—he was family. Someone I could turn to and say, ‘Come on, let’s ride 2,000 km just to have a cup of tea and come back,’ and he’d be ready without hesitation. He will be deeply missed. A part of us has gone with him.”

For Vishnu Venugopal, who now lives in Spain, the loss is equally heavy.
“Jeff was one of the most genuine people I’ve ever known. He always encouraged me to stay positive. I still have photos of us performing together on stage as kids. I can’t believe we were chatting just the day before he passed, about music, something we both loved,” said Vishnu.

“I’m going to miss him more than words can express. But I know he’ll always be with me, in my memories, in my thoughts, in everything that reminds me of him.”

Lived life to the fullest

In his tribute, Rahul summarised the heartbreak of losing someone so full of life: “We had an endless list of plans and goals to achieve. Now, he will watch us do them from above and be happy about it. If there’s one thing he taught me, it’s to let loose and live today to the fullest. That is what he did. Life without him is going to be dull. He had the energy to light up any room. I’m glad he last did what he loved—riding.”

Jeff’s family, hailing from Kerala and living in Sharjah, is now trying to get his mortal remains repatriated to the UAE to make it his final resting place.