The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and take over the criminal investigation of the Ghatkopar air crash on June 28, which claimed five lives.
On July 23, advocate Yeshwanth Shenoy filed a public interest litigation (PIL) raising an alarm on the height of the buildings around the airport. The PIL asks if the central agency has called for an investigation into the role of State officials in the crash, if a probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is sufficient to prevent another accident, and if a court of inquiry is required to unearth the truth.
Mr. Shenoy says he had filed a complaint with the Sahar police station on April 12, 2016, about obstacles in flight paths. He met the DCP, zone VIII, but no FIR was registered. He also filed a private complaint with the Andheri magistrate, which is pending.
He has sought directions to the Union of India to order a court of inquiry under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules 2017. The PIL says the CBI should carry out the investigation, which should be monitored by the court every four weeks.
A Division Bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai has adjourned the matter for four weeks.
