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 said the way the aviation body released its preliminary report on the Boeing Dreamliner's crash was selective and piecemeal.
The report published on 12 July noted that just seconds after take-off, fuel supply to the engines was cut off. It also indicated that one of the pilots questioned the fuel cutoff in a cockpit recording, with an unclear response from the other pilot.
One of India's Supreme Court judges remarked that allegations suggesting pilots intentionally shut off the fuel were very unfortunate and irresponsible. This incident has sparked further questioning about the safety of India's airspace.
The chief of India's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), defended the safety record of the country, asserting that India's skies have always been safe. However, the DGCA also uncovered 51 safety violations at Air India in the past year during its annual airline audit.
Families of four deceased passengers have filed a lawsuit in the US against Boeing and Honeywell, alleging negligence by the companies despite awareness of design risks associated with the aircraft.
