The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on a petition seeking a court-monitored, independent, and expeditious probe into the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N.K. Singh was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that questioned the preliminary investigation conducted by the AAIB.
The bench observed that the portion of the report directly blaming the pilot for the tragedy was ‘unfortunate.’ It sought detailed responses from the authorities concerned before proceeding further in the matter.
The bench emphasised that rumours and speculations should be avoided until the final inquiry was completed.
SeniorAdvocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, told the court that a five-member team had been set up to investigate the accident, and three of its members were serving officers of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Bhushan contended that this created a serious conflict of interest, as the functioning of the DGCA itself was under examination.
He further pointed out that it was questionable for officers belonging to the very organisation whose role might come under scrutiny to be included in the inquiry team.
The plea alleged that the report had withheld crucial information and unfairly attributed the accident solely to pilot error.
The June 12 crash involved an Air India flight bound for London that went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. The accident claimed the lives of 260 people, including passengers, crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground.
The petitioners have urged the court to ensure transparency in the investigation, citing the magnitude of the tragedy and the need for public confidence in the findings.
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Ankur Mishra is a journalist who covers an extensive range of news, from business, stock markets, IPOs to geopolitics, world affairs, international crises, and general news. With over a decade of experience in the business domain, Ankur has been associated with some of the reputed media brands. Through a sharp eye on global marketplaces along with deep insights and analysis of business strategies, Ankur brings simplicity to the complex economic matrix to decode market trends and empower people.
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