The Supreme Court on Monday (September 22) asked the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to explain how they plan to ensure an “unbiased, impartial, and swift” investigation into the Air India plane crash in Gujarat on June 12.

The direction came while hearing a petition filed by the Safety Matters Foundation, which has sought a court-monitored probe by an independent body.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotishwar Singh issued notices to both the Centre and the DGCA, giving them two weeks to respond.

The petition questioned the DGCA’s preliminary report that hinted at pilot error as a cause. It referred to the movement of the aircraft’s fuel control switches from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ soon after takeoff, which reportedly led to engine failure.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, told the court that more than three months had passed without any clear findings on why the crash happened or what safety steps were being taken to stop such incidents in the future.

He also raised concerns about a conflict of interest, as three members of the probe panel are from the DGCA itself, the same body facing scrutiny for possible lapses.

While supporting the need for a fair investigation, the judges expressed concern over releasing sensitive details before the inquiry is complete.

They pointed out that calls to make the flight data recorder public at this stage could lead to confusion or misrepresentation. The bench stressed that incomplete details might unfairly harm the reputation of the pilots who lost their lives in the crash.

“Any attempt to release such details prematurely could lead to misrepresentation,” the court said, adding that the final findings should be shared only after the full probe is over.

The investigation is being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB) with international help. Teams from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and Boeing are also involved in the process.

For now, the court has made it clear that the priority is a thorough, impartial, and quick investigation, while decisions on public disclosure will come later.