Supreme Court Probes Air India Crash Probe, Calls for Independent Investigation

In a recent development, the Supreme Court is closely examining the investigation into the tragic Air India crash that occurred in Ahmedabad in June 2022, resulting in the loss of 260 lives. The Central government has informed the court that the probe is being conducted in accordance with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as the incident involved foreign nationals among the victims.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, argued that the ICAO protocols governing aviation accident investigations must be followed in this case. However, the petitioners, including the father of the deceased pilot Captain Sumit Sabharwal and the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, have raised concerns about the independence and transparency of the current investigation being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The Supreme Court, in its observations, termed the crash as "unfortunate" but noted that "no one in India believes it was the pilot's fault." The bench has now directed the petitioners to file their counter-affidavits in response to the government's stance.

The court's intervention comes as the victims' families seek a retired judge-led, technically sound, and judicially monitored investigation into the incident, claiming the existing probe is "defective and suffers from serious infirmities and perversities."