“It’s very regrettable that this accident occurred, but you (the father) shouldn’t bear the weight of your son being accused,” says Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Friday informed the father of the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad in June, resulting in the deaths of 260 individuals, that no one in the nation holds the pilot responsible.
A panel of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued the statement during the hearing of a petition by 91-year-old Pushkar Sabharwal, who seeks a thorough and expert investigation into the crash, overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The court conveyed understanding and guaranteed him that his son was not held responsible for the incident. “It’s very regrettable that this accident occurred, but you (the father) shouldn’t bear the weight of your son being accused.”
“Nobody can hold him responsible for anything,” stated Justice Surya Kant during the hearing.
Justice Bagchi remarked, “There have been no implications directed at the pilot thus far.” The investigation report simply documents the exchange between the two pilots; it does not assign fault.
Represented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, the petitioner said that only a basic probe had been done under Rule 9 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, while a full independent investigation under Rule 11 was still needed.
He also mentioned a Wall Street Journal article that referenced unnamed Indian sources suggesting pilot mistake. The court has issued notices to the Centre, DGCA, and other agencies requesting their replies.
Justice Surya Kant informed the petitioner, “No matter the cause of the tragedy, the pilot bears no responsibility.”
The upcoming hearing is set for November 10.
