Supreme Court Demands Progress Report on Air India Ahmedabad Crash Probe

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant noted the submissions made by the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, who said that the investigation was at its fag end and sought three weeks' time to submit a report thereon.

"The Solicitor General submits that a fact-finding inquiry in accordance with international commitments is underway and that examination of the entire inquiry report would take time. He assures this Court that all relevant details of the inquiry undertaken so far, including the procedural protocol followed, shall be placed on record along with a progress report", the Court said. The Bench directed that the reports be filed within three weeks and listed the matter thereafter.

During the hearing, the Court cautioned against speculation and premature conclusions on the cause of the crash.

"With one stroke of the pen, you cannot say that a particular model of aircraft is defective. These are highly technical and sophisticated issues," the Court observed.

The Bench also questioned the implications of grounding the Dreamliner aircraft, asking whether such a step would effectively ground an entire airline and how many airlines across the world operate the model.

The plea was filed by Safety Matters Foundation seeking a court-monitored inquiry into the crash.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that the applicable accident investigation manual envisaged a court of inquiry in cases of major accidents involving large-scale loss of life. Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that the rules themselves mandated adherence to international codes, which contemplated a higher-level inquiry in such cases.

Bhushan also raised concerns over the composition of the AAIB team, stating that "five members of the committee are from the DGCA, which itself is under scrutiny."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on the other hand, emphasised that the inquiry was being conducted strictly in line with India's international obligations.

"This is an international investigation. At this stage, the inquiry is to find the cause of the crash, not to attribute responsibility," Mehta submitted.

Acknowledging the anxiety of the victims' families, the Court said, "We appreciate the concern of the parents and relatives of the pilots and passengers. We are also eagerly waiting for the outcome of the inquiry."

However, the Bench made it clear that the proceedings could not be converted into a blame-fixing exercise.

"This kind of proceeding is not meant for a blame game between different stakeholders," the Court said, adding that it would be appropriate to await the outcome of the ongoing probe. The matter will be heard again after three weeks.

- ANI