The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Central government on a petition filed by the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot who was commanding the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this year, killing 260 people. The petitioner sought an independent judicial inquiry into what is being described as one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent decades.
Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that no individual, including the pilot, has been blamed for the crash so far and cautioned that any form of external interference could disrupt or compromise the ongoing investigation. The probe is currently being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), the statutory authority responsible for investigating air accidents in India.
A preliminary report released in July revealed that the fuel supply to both engines was cut off immediately after take-off, causing the aircraft to lose power and crash. However, the report did not specify whether the fuel control switches had been altered accidentally or intentionally, sparking speculation and debate within the aviation community about possible pilot error or system malfunction.
During the hearing, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, argued that government rules require a Court of Inquiry for aviation incidents of such gravity. “In the rules of the government itself, these kinds of serious incidents require a Court of Inquiry,” Bhushan submitted, urging judicial oversight to ensure transparency and accountability.
Responding, SG Mehta underlined that India follows a clear international framework for investigating air crashes under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) conventions. “There is a statutory regime in place — the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau — which governs how such investigations must proceed,” he said.
Expressing sympathy for the pilot’s father, Mehta reiterated that no blame has been assigned to Captain Sabharwal or any other crew member. “I understand the concern of the father. There is no blame attributed to anyone,” he said, adding that the Civil Aviation Ministry had already issued a press note confirming this stance.
However, Mehta warned that judicial or external intervention at this stage could jeopardise the technical integrity of the probe, noting that aircraft accident investigations require “scientific, data-driven precision” under international guidelines.
After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to file a detailed counter-affidavit in response to all petitions demanding a separate probe or oversight committee. The matter will be taken up for further hearing after the affidavit is submitted.
