SC to examine whether Air India probe is conducted fairly
What's the story
The Supreme Court has agreed to look into the ongoing investigation of the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. A bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotishwar Singh, will examine if adequate steps are being taken for a fair, unbiased, and speedy probe. In this matter, the court has issued notices to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB), and Director General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Official response
Notices issued to aviation ministry, AAIB, DGCA
The notices were issued in response to a PIL filed by Safety Matters Foundation, an NGO dedicated to enhancing aviation safety. The NGO has raised concerns about the AAIB's "selective" release of its preliminary report on the crash investigation. It alleged that its failure to disclose critical information could mislead the public into prematurely attributing blame to pilot error. It also pointed out that critical details indicating a manufacturing error in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner have not been disclosed.
Investigation integrity
Sole survivor's testimony ignored in preliminary report: Plea
The plea also questioned the credibility of the preliminary investigation report, citing that it ignored the testimony of the sole survivor. It further raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, as three out of five members on the investigating team are from DGCA's Air Safety, Western Region. "By allowing its...officers to dominate the investigation, a direct conflict of interest arises, since the inquiry would inevitably require examination of whether the DGCA discharged its oversight duties diligently," the plea said.
Investigation demands
Petitioner-NGO seeks 2 main prayers in plea
The petitioner-NGO has sought two main prayers from the court. First, they want all relevant records related to the investigation to be disclosed. Second, they demand an independent investigation team under the Supreme Court's supervision to probe into the crash. While the court has issued notices, it expressed reservations about the NGO's plea to make all investigation material public. "Suppose tomorrow, it is said pilot 'A' is responsible? The family of pilot is bound to suffer," Justice Kant observed.