Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that the Ahmedabad Plane Crash involved foreign nationals, which necessitates an investigation under the international regime governing air crashes
The Air India crash near Ahmedabad had claimed 260 lives on June 12. File pic
The Central government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the Air India crash investigation is being conducted by Indian authorities in accordance with the mandate laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), news agency ANI reported.
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta said that the crash involved foreign nationals, and therefore, the probe has to follow international protocols that are applied in air crash investigations across the world.
“The investigation is being carried out as per international standards and the ICAO framework,” Mehta told the bench, according to news agency ANI.
The court was hearing petitions filed by Pushkarraj Sabharwal, father of late Captain Sumit Sabharwal — the pilot of the Air India flight that crashed near Ahmedabad airport on June 12 — and by non-governmental organisation Safety Matters Foundation. Both had sought an independent, court-monitored probe into the tragedy that killed 260 people.
After hearing the Centre’s submissions, the Supreme Court asked the petitioners to file their counter-replies to the government’s affidavit once it is submitted in writing, ANI reported.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the crash required a judicially supervised inquiry, citing that the government’s own aviation safety rules mandate an independent investigation for accidents of such magnitude.
“An accident of this seriousness requires a court-ordered inquiry to ensure transparency and accountability,” said Bhushan.
Sankaranarayanan, while agreeing with the Centre that there exists an international framework for such investigations, alleged that it was not being followed properly in the Air India crash investigation.
The bench, while taking note of the submissions, clarified that the preliminary report of the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was not meant to fix responsibility but only to establish the technical cause of the crash.
“It is not to apportion responsibility. It is to clarify the cause and then give reasoning for the crash,” Justice Bagchi observed during the hearing.
The court also noted that the Centre had not yet filed its written response to the petitions and directed it to do so soon. The petitioners were allowed to file counter-replies thereafter.
The matter will be listed for hearing on a later date, which will be confirmed once the Supreme Court’s written order is uploaded on its official website.
(With ANI inputs)
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