The Supreme Court of India on November 7, 2025, comforted the father of the late Air India pilot Sumit Sabharwal, saying he should not carry the burden of guilt for his son. The court assured him that no conclusion has been drawn so far blaming the pilots for the tragic Air India plane crash.
Father Seeks Fair Investigation
The pilot’s father, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, aged 91, filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting a fair and transparent investigation into the Air India crash. He claimed that the current probe has not been impartial and that technical faults in the aircraft have been ignored while the entire blame is being placed on the pilots.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Central Government and the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), seeking their response on the matter.
What the Court Said
During the hearing, the Supreme Court told the elderly father not to feel that his son was responsible for the crash. The court clarified that the preliminary investigation has not found any such evidence, and foreign media reports suggesting pilot error are incorrect.
The court also mentioned that this petition would be heard along with another pending case on the same issue. The next hearing is scheduled for November 10, 2025.
Earlier Court Observations
Earlier, on September 22, the Supreme Court had expressed displeasure over parts of the investigation report being leaked and certain sections of the media highlighting pilot error before the final report was released. The court had said that since the investigation is still ongoing, confidentiality must be maintained until the findings are complete.
The Air India Plane Crash
The tragic incident happened on June 12, 2025, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft flying from Ahmedabad to London crashed just minutes after takeoff. The plane went down on the mess hall of a medical college in Meghani Nagar, where several students were having lunch.
A total of 241 people, including pilots, crew members, and passengers, lost their lives, and only one passenger survived. Additionally, 19 people in the medical college building were also killed.
Details from the Investigation
Some media outlets had reported that the cockpit voice recorder captured a conversation between Captain Sumit Sabharwal and co-pilot Cleve Kundar, where one pilot asked, “Why was the fuel cut off?” and the other replied, “I didn’t do it.” However, the Supreme Court has stated that these leaked details should not be treated as verified findings.
