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Supreme Court Fast-Tracks Pleas for Independent Probe Into Air India Flight 171 Crash

Petitioners argue the statutory probe lacks responses from authorities, urging judge-led oversight to force Boeing 787 safety fixes.

Overview

  • A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said it would fix a short hearing date on January 28 for petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the June 12 crash.
  • The pleas were filed by the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, the father of pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots, who want an inquiry headed by a former Supreme Court judge.
  • Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court neither the Centre nor the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has filed replies and pressed for grounding Boeing 787s over alleged electronic problems.
  • Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the ongoing probe complies with ICAO-mandated steps under Section 4C of the Aircraft Act and follows international practice given foreign nationals were among the victims.
  • News reports differ on the death toll from the crash, with published figures ranging from 241 to 260.