India’s Supreme Court has absolved the pilot of the ill-fated Air India plane that tragically crashed in western India. The London-bound flight met its demise shortly after departing from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of 241 individuals, including 52 Britons. Amid the devastation, sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh emerged from the wreckage expressing gratitude for his survival but enduring physical and mental struggles.
The court reassured the mourning father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command during the crash, that his son bore no responsibility for the incident. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the official investigation did not attribute blame to the pilot. Captain Sabharwal, hailed as a hero for steering the aircraft away from a populated area, including a medical students’ hostel, had promptly signaled distress to air control after takeoff.
The court denounced a Wall Street Journal report that had cast aspersions on Captain Sabharwal, describing it as biased and aimed at maligning India. Subsequently, directives were issued to aviation authorities and the government in response to a plea filed by Captain Sabharwal’s father, advocating for an impartial inquiry into the crash.
The petition highlights concerns about incomplete and biased investigations by the current Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and stresses the need for a comprehensive probe to ensure passenger safety and uphold legal rights. Preliminary findings revealed that both engines of the aircraft were inexplicably shut down after reaching top speed, leading to the fatal descent.
Captain Sabharwal, along with First Officer Clive Kunder, was in control of the flight during the tragic incident. The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the case on November 10 in conjunction with other related appeals.
