The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Government, the DGCA and other authorities following a plea filed by Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad this June. The petitioner has demanded a fair, transparent and technically sound investigation under the supervision of a retired judge.
During the hearing, Justice Surya Kant remarked, &ldquo;This accident is extremely tragic, but your son is not at fault. No citizen of India believes that the pilot was responsible.&rdquo; Justice Joymalya Bagchi added that the AAIB&rsquo;s preliminary report also did not indicate any error by the pilot.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan argued that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau&rsquo;s (AAIB) probe is not independent. &ldquo;I am 91 years old and I want an honourable closure for my son. Even after four months, the investigation remains unclear,&rdquo; he told the court. He sought a judicially supervised inquiry under Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents) Rules and also highlighted global safety concerns regarding Boeing aircraft.
The plea also referred to a Wall Street Journal report that suggested pilot error. However, Justice Bagchi made it clear that foreign media reports have no bearing on the Indian judicial process.
Supported by the Federation of Indian Pilots, the petition calls for the AAIB&rsquo;s probe to be suspended and replaced by an independent aviation panel headed by a retired judge.

SC Rejects Pilot Blame in Ahmedabad Crash Case

SC issues notice after plea by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s father

SC Rejects Pilot Blame in Ahmedabad Crash Case

SC issues notice after plea by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s father

November 7, 2025 | 14:22 IST