NEW DELHI, India — The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Union government three weeks to place on record a status report on the investigation into the Ahmedabad air crash that killed 260 people.
A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by the father of the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command of Air India flight AI-171, which crashed on June 12, 2025. The petitions seek an independent, court-monitored inquiry into the incident.
During the hearing, the Solicitor General, appearing for the Center and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, told the court that the investigation being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is in its final stages.
He said the inquiry was nearing completion and that a report would be prepared soon, adding that certain aircraft components had been sent to foreign jurisdictions for specialized testing.
The Solicitor General also told the court that international protocols were being followed in the probe, noting that victims of multiple nationalities were involved in the crash.
Taking note of the submissions, the bench granted the Center three weeks to complete the exercise and directed that the status report be submitted in a sealed cover. The court also asked the government to file an affidavit explaining the procedural protocol followed during the investigation so far.
“What is the procedural protocol followed? Tell us in three weeks,” the bench said, directing that a progress report be placed on record at the next hearing.
Appearing for the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court that pilot associations had raised concerns over the safety of Boeing 787 aircraft and had sought grounding of the planes pending a comprehensive review.
He said pilot bodies had repeatedly warned of potential issues with the aircraft model, but alleged that neither the government nor the investigation agency had responded to those representations.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Captain Sabharwal’s father, reiterated the demand for a court-monitored probe. He argued that in several past aircraft crash investigations abroad, initial findings had blamed pilots, only for later inquiries to uncover technical defects.
Referring to earlier Boeing 737 crashes, he said pilots were initially held responsible before U.S. regulators later identified faults in the aircraft, and contended that key documents in those cases were not made public at the outset.
Calling the tragedy “very unfortunate,” the bench cautioned against making broad or premature allegations against any particular aircraft model or airline without conclusive findings.
The court said remarks targeting specific aircraft brands should be made with restraint, noting that Dreamliners were once regarded as among the safest aircraft.
Referring to recent media reports about an alleged fuel switch issue in another Dreamliner flight, the bench said initial claims were later clarified by official sources, and emphasized that while the Ahmedabad incident was tragic, comments on aircraft safety should be conservative and based on verified findings. (Source: IANS)
