The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and other relevant authorities over a petition seeking an independent, fair, and time-bound investigation into the June 12 Air India plane crash that killed 260 people.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the court has challenged the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), claiming that the report released on July 12 violated the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. The petitioner alleged that the AAIB report failed to provide full disclosure of factual data collected during the early stages of the investigation, as mandated by law.
A bench of the Supreme Court termed the release of selective and partial information “unfortunate” and said it would take up the matter for detailed hearing.
The tragedy occurred when Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad while en route to London Gatwick. The crash killed 241 people — including 230 passengers, 12 crew members, and several on the ground — leaving only one passenger alive.
The Court is expected to hear the case in the coming weeks, with the outcome likely to set a precedent for transparency and accountability in future aviation disaster probes.
