The Supreme Court on Friday comforted 91-year-old Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of the late Air India pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, saying that his son should not carry any blame for the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives earlier this year.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the grieving father, “You should not carry burden on yourself. The pilot is not to be blamed for the plane crash. It was an accident. There is no insinuation against him even in the preliminary report.”
The court issued notice to the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sabharwal’s plea seeking a court-monitored, independent inquiry into the incident.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Sabharwal, pointed out that a report in the Wall Street Journal had cast aspersions on the pilot’s role. Responding to this, the bench remarked, “It was nasty reporting only to blame India.” Reading out the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board’s (AAIB) preliminary report dated July 12, the judges noted that it did not attribute fault to the pilot.
“The scope of the AAIB investigation is not to blame but to suggest preventive measures to avoid future tragedies. If necessary, we will clarify that the pilot cannot be blamed,” the bench added.
The case will be heard next on November 10, along with other connected petitions.
Sabharwal, along with the Federation of Indian Pilots, has petitioned the apex court for a “fair, transparent and technically robust” probe led by a former Supreme Court judge. The plea, filed through AP&J Chambers on October 10, names the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, and AAIB as respondents.
The petition argues that a “prejudiced or incomplete inquiry” would violate passengers’ right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution by compromising aviation safety. It seeks the formation of an independent committee including aviation and technical experts to identify the exact cause of the crash.
The ill-fated Air India aircraft took off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick but crashed within minutes, slamming into the BJ Medical College hostel, barely a nautical mile from the runway’s end. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) failed to activate, and both pilots—Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder—lost their lives along with 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
The Supreme Court’s reassurance offers a measure of solace to the veteran father as the court prepares to examine calls for a deeper, independent investigation into one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.
