Supreme Court Assures Pilot's Father After Air India Crash
The Supreme Court of India assured the 91-year-old father of Air India pilot Sumeet Sabharwal that his son would not be blamed for the June 2025 crash. The court stated the accident was not the pilot's fault and dismissed insinuations from the preliminary report and media reports. The court also issued a notice to the Centre and DGCA and will hear petitions for a fair investigation.
The Supreme Court of India addressed the concerns of Pushkaraj Sabharwal, the 91-year-old father of pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, who was in command of the Air India Boeing Dreamliner that crashed in June 2025, killing 260 people. The court assured him that his son would not be held responsible for the accident, stating that the pilot was not to blame and that there was no insinuation against him in the preliminary report. The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the crash was an accident and dismissed negative media coverage, including an article from The Wall Street Journal that blamed the pilot. The court issued a notice to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following a petition by Pushkaraj Sabharwal, who demanded a fair, transparent, and technically robust investigation. The petition was prompted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report, which mentioned that the fuel control switches of both engines were abruptly moved to the 'cut-off' position shortly after takeoff, an action that indirectly pointed to the pilot. The court also confirmed that it would hear a similar petition and both cases on November 10, ensuring a thorough and impartial investigation into the tragic incident.
