Supreme Court Questions Air India Crash Probe, Demands Independent Inquiry

The Supreme Court on Friday described the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives in June, as 'unfortunate' and emphasized that the pilot should not be blamed. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi remarked that no one in India holds the pilot responsible for the disaster.

In response to a plea by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's father, the top court issued notices to the Centre, DGCA, and others, seeking an investigation led by a retired judge. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, highlighted concerns about the current probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) lacking independence.

The plea raised issues about unfair attribution to pilot error, pointing out flaws in the preliminary report, including neglect of key technical factors. The Supreme Court, unimpressed by foreign reports suggesting pilot fault, scheduled further hearings for November 10.