'Nobody Can Blame The Pilot': SC's Notice To Centre On Pilot's Plea For Judicial Inquiry In Air India Crash

The Supreme Court of India on Friday issued notice to the Centre, the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and sought reply on the pea filed by the father

of late pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, killed in Air India plane crash regarding an independent probe. “It’s extremely unfortunate that this crash took place, but you (father) should not carry this burden that your son is being blamed... Nobody can blame him (Pilot) for anything,” the Supreme Court said. “No one in India believes it was the pilot's fault,” said Justice Surya Kant.The 91-year-old father of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, had filed a plea seeking a a retired judge-monitored fair, transparent, and technically sound probe into the crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.He said two officials from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) who visited him had implied that his son, Sumeet Sabharwal, cut the fuel to the plane’s engine after take-off.Boeing 787-8 crashed on June 12 shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, leaving at least 270 dead, including 241 passengers. The AAIB has initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team to probe the crash.(This is a breaking copy. More details are awaited)