The highest court in India has strongly criticised the country's aviation authorities for their handling of the aftermath of the Air India plane crash that killed 261 people in June.
Leaving only one survivor, the flight bound for Gatwick airport from Ahmedabad crashed shortly after taking off, killing 242 passengers on board and 19 others on the ground.
The court said it was 'irresponsible' for the aviation authority to suggest through leaks to the media that pilot error had caused the disaster.
It called on Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for the government's response before it rules on a case filed by activists demanding an independent investigation.
The court described the aviation body's release of its preliminary report as 'selective and piecemeal'. The report indicated that moments after take-off, there was a cut-off in fuel supply to the engines.
Notably, a cockpit recording revealed confusion among the pilots, with questions raised regarding fuel supply shutdown.
One Supreme Court judge expressed that hinting deliberate actions by pilots was 'unfortunate and irresponsible'.
The incident has sparked concerns over air safety in India. While the chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) defended India's safety record, the authority had identified 51 safety violations at Air India recently.
The families of the crash victims have filed a lawsuit in the US against Boeing and Honeywell, claiming negligence related to aircraft design risks.
