Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, a retired aviation safety officer, says he will do everything to defend his son’s reputation after the Air India Flight 171 crash.
The company’s senior pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, was on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London when it went down seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, killing at least 260 people.
An earlier report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that both engines’ fuel‑control switches moved from the “run” to the “cut‑off” position shortly after departure, cutting fuel to the engines. Audio from the cockpit captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut, but the pilot’s identity was not identified.
Media speculation, amplified by outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, suggested that the senior pilot had deliberately cut the fuel, provoking backlash from Indian pilots’ associations and criticism from the AAIB as “selective and unverified reporting.”
Pushkar Raj joined a suit in India’s Supreme Court demanding an independent investigation. The Court ruled that there was no suggestion of the pilot’s fault in the preliminary findings, and no one could be blamed for the tragedy.
The father speaks of a son who “was kind, soft‑spoken and deeply devoted to his family.” He says his son was planning to retire soon to care for him and spend more time at home.
He recalls how his son would call him frequently, even while travelling, and how his mother would refer to him as “Shravan,” a mythological figure known for devotion to his parents.
Despite the loss, the family finds support from friends, neighbours and relatives who have rallied to help the grieving father in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Pushkar Raj says walking in the morning helps him remember his son’s presence; he now needs assistance but still steps out to keep a routine that keeps his memories alive.
Nearly a year after the event, the families of those who died, aviation experts and pilots’ relatives await the forthcoming findings from investigators. The father’s final words echo the weight of the tragedy: “If I am to keep myself alive and quiet, I must try to forget. That is my situation.”
