Overview
- The Federation of Indian Pilots sent a January 11 legal notice calling the summons to Capt. Varun Anand “wholly unwarranted” and lacking statutory clarity.
- Citing ICAO Annex 13, the pilots’ body argues Anand has no factual or technical link to the accident and should not be examined solely as a relative.
- AAIB confirmed issuing the January 9 summons and asserted investigators can call and examine any relevant witness to obtain information.
- Anand, a serving Air India pilot and nephew of the deceased Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, has agreed to cooperate via video conference.
- The June 2025 crash killed about 260 people; the captain’s father has a writ before the Supreme Court challenging the probe as AAIB advances toward a final report around June 2026 after a preliminary fuel‑supply interruption finding.