Air India crash: SC tells pilot’s father ‘you shouldn’t carry burden on yourself’; notice to Centre issued | India News
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said that no one can blame the pilot-in-command of the Air India Boeing Dreamliner that crashed moments after taking off in Ahmedabad and killing 260 people. The apex court told the 91-year-old father that his son, Sumeet Sabharwal, is not to be blamed and “you should not carry the burden on yourself.“The bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi added that, “There is no insinuation against the pilot even in the preliminary probe report.”It also issued a notice to Centre and directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) on the plea of the father of pilot Sumeet Sabharwal.The statement from SC came as it was hearing a petition by Pushkaraj Sabharwal, whose son Sumeet Sabharwal was the pilot-in-command of the Air India flight. While hearing the plea, Justice Surya Kant told the father, “This crash was extremely unfortunate, but you should not carry this burden that your son is being blamed.”The petitions were filed after aircraft accident investigation bureau (AAIB) in its preliminary report mentioned that the fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after takeoff.