New Delhi: A poignant moment of justice and compassion unfolded in India following the tragic Air India flight accident. The Supreme Court of India addressed the father of the deceased pilot, urging him “not to shoulder the burden” of blaming his son for the crash. The court stressed that holding the pilot responsible before a thorough investigation was unfair.
The pilot’s father had filed a plea demanding a fair, transparent, and independent investigation into the accident, following widespread reporting in the Indian media that was prematurely blaming his son as the cause of the disaster.
During today’s proceedings, the Supreme Court delivered highly empathetic remarks, telling the father, “This accident is extremely unfortunate, but please do not shoulder this burden by holding your son guilty.” The court also strongly criticized the media and specific reports for creating an impression of pilot error before the official investigation was complete, labeling the prejudgment as “injustice.”
Accident Background:
Air India Flight AI 171 took off from Ahmedabad, India, bound for London on June 12, 2025. The aircraft crashed moments after takeoff, killing almost all passengers onboard. The preliminary investigation report indicated that the crash occurred because both of the plane’s engines had run out of fuel and the fuel supply had ceased, leading to the catastrophic failure. The court’s gesture of consolation to the father is seen as an attempt to restore public faith in the judicial process while the search for the truth continues.
