Supreme Court to Rehear Air India Crash Investigation

The Supreme Court will hear a PIL questioning the fairness of the investigation into the Air India crash on June 12, which killed 260 people. The petitioners, including an NGO and the deceased pilot's father, demand an independent court-monitored probe into the crash's circumstances.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hold a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning alleged irregularities in the investigation of the June 12 Air India crash. The incident involved an Air India Boeing 787-8 flight bound for London's Gatwick airport and resulted in the deaths of 260 individuals, including passengers and crew.

The court's bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, received arguments from lawyer Prashant Bhushan who represents the PIL petitioner, the Safety Matters Foundation NGO. Bhushan pointed out that the Centre and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) have yet to respond to the petitions filed.

The PIL requests a court-monitored investigation into the crash, citing a need for scrutiny beyond the preliminary reports given by the AAIB. The petitioners seek transparency and accountability given the serious nature of the accident, which predominantly affected Indian nationals among the deceased.

(With inputs from agencies.)