AI pilot's father, Federation of Pilots move SC for judicial inquiry into Ahmedabad crash
New Delhi (PTI): Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of deceased Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots have moved the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored inquiry headed by a former apex court judge into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people.
On September 22, the top court said certain aspects of the AAIB preliminary report on the crash indicated lapses on the part of pilots, and had issued notices to the Centre and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on another plea seeking an independent, fair and expeditious probe.
Pushkaraj Sabharwal, 91, has sought a “fair, transparent and technically robust” investigation into the tragic incident.
“An incomplete and prejudiced inquiry, without identification of the exact cause of the accident, endangers the lives of future passengers and undermines aviation safety at large, causing a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution,” the plea said.
The petition, filed through AP&J Chambers on October 10, made the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, the DGCA , and the Director General of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) as respondents, and is likely to come up for hearing after Diwali vacation.
The plea seeks directions for the constitution of an independent committee, comprising aviation and technical experts also, to probe the crash that killed 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
The ill-fated aircraft had taken off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick but crashed within minutes, impacting the BJ Medical College hostel located less than a nautical mile from the end of runway.
The debris was strewn over an area of nearly 1,000 by 400 feet, indicating a high-energy impact.
The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) failed to activate, and both the pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder lost their lives in the crash, the plea said.
The petition said that the official investigation conducted by the AAIB and the DGCA is “defective, biased, and technically unsound”.
The preliminary report, issued on July 12, 2025, is alleged to have wrongly attributed the cause of the crash to pilot error, while ignoring multiple systemic and technical failures that could have played a decisive role.
According to the petition, “the inquiry team, rather than undertaking a comprehensive technical investigation, appears to have disproportionately focused on the deceased pilots, who can no longer defend themselves and overlooked plausible evidence of electrical, software, or design-level failures”.
The plea said that such an approach not only tarnishes the reputation of the deceased crew but also undermines aviation safety, violating the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
“Issue an appropriate writ, order, or direction under Article 32 of the Constitution of India and constitute a Judicially Monitored Committee or Court of Inquiry, headed by a retired Judge of this Hon’ble Court, with independent aviation and technical experts as its members, to conduct a fair, transparent, and technically robust investigation into the crash...,” the plea said.
It also sought a direction that all prior investigations conducted so far into the crash, “including the preliminary report dated July 12, be treated as closed and all relevant materials, data, and records be transferred to the Judicially Monitored Committee or Court of Inquiry”.
The father of the late Sumeet Sabharwal said his son had an “unblemished career spanning over 30 years, with 15,638 hours of incident-free flying, including 8,596 hours on Boeing 787-8 aircraft, without a single reported lapse or incident causing fatalities or otherwise”.
The approach of the investigation has resulted in a failure to adequately examine, or rule out, other more plausible technical and procedural factors relating to the Boeing that could have contributed to the tragic incident, the plea said.
“It is respectfully submitted that the five-member investigation team appointed by the Respondents to investigate the crash of the Aircraft is manifestly illegal and void, as it violates the fundamental principle of natural justice, i.e. nemo judex in causa sua, which mandates that no person should be a judge in their own cause,” it said.
The probe team is dominated by officers from DGCA, the state aviation authorities whose procedures, oversight, and possible lapses are directly implicated in the investigation, it said.
“Moreover, the officers are placed under the control of the DG, AAIB, thereby creating a situation where the very entities responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation are effectively investigating themselves. This, combined with the involvement of Boeing and General Electric representatives, undermines the impartiality, credibility, and reliability of the Report..,” the plea said.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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