The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the Air India pilot who died in the tragic June crash that killed 260 people, has moved the Supreme Court demanding an independent investigation into the disaster. The petition, filed by 91-year-old Pushkar Raj Sabharwal along with the Federation of Indian Pilots, challenges the government-led probe and urges the court to appoint a new panel of aviation experts headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, marking the world’s worst aviation accident in a decade. Preliminary findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) suggested that the aircraft’s fuel switches had been turned off during takeoff, a claim that effectively placed blame on the pilots. However, Sabharwal’s father and the pilots’ union argue that the probe has been one-sided, focusing mainly on pilot error while overlooking possible technical or procedural failures.
In his plea, Sabharwal requested the court to disband the current investigation, citing lack of transparency and inadequate evaluation of all potential causes. The petition comes amid growing criticism from pilot associations over the credibility of the ongoing inquiry.
Neither Air India, Boeing, the civil aviation ministry, nor the AAIB have issued fresh comments on the latest development. The Supreme Court has yet to take up the case for hearing.
The tragedy has reignited debate over India’s aviation safety standards and the independence of accident investigations. The pilots’ federation, representing about 5,000 members, maintains that accountability should extend beyond the cockpit to include aircraft maintenance, design flaws, and operational oversight.
As the victims’ families await justice, the call for a transparent and expert-led investigation continues to grow, adding pressure on authorities to ensure that the true cause of the crash is uncovered.
