India’s Supreme Court said an interim Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report on July 12, 2025’s Air India Boeing 787-8 crash near Ahmedabad “does not insinuate anything” against captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The court nonetheless listed for November 10 a plea by the 91-year-old father, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, seeking a panel of aviation experts chaired by a retired SC judge to conduct an independent probe. He alleged AAIB officials implied his son cut fuel to the engines after take-off. 


Government counsel denied the allegation, calling the probe “clean” and “thorough.” The interim report noted the engine fuel switches flipped from RUN to CUTOFF almost simultaneously just after take-off, without assigning blame. The court’s observation addresses concerns over reputational harm while the technical investigation continues. Families of victims have demanded clarity on cause and potential systemic faults. The matter will be taken up again on Nov. 10; the AAIB’s full report remains pending. 

 The crash had killed 260 people.