The Federation of Indian Pilots has issued a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau after it summoned Captain Varun Anand, a relative of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was the pilot-in-command of the ill-fated Air India flight AI-171.
Air India informed Captain Anand about the summons, prompting objections from the pilots’ body, which questioned the basis of the move. According to the Federation, Captain Anand had no connection with the flight, was not involved in its planning, and was neither present at the crash site nor linked to the investigation as a factual, technical, or expert witness.
The Federation alleged that the summons appeared to be based solely on Captain Anand’s relationship with the deceased pilot, raising concerns about a preconceived narrative shifting responsibility onto the flight crew. It added that Captain Anand is willing to cooperate through video conferencing.
