The highest court in India has strongly criticized 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 into the Boeing Dreamliner 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.
The report also stated that one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off in a cockpit voice recording, with another pilot responding that he did not do so.
The recording does not clarify who made the statement. At the time of take-off, the co-pilot was flying the aircraft while the captain was monitoring.
One of India's Supreme Court judges said in court that suggestions that the pilots deliberately shut off fuel supply were very unfortunate and irresponsible.
The crash has raised concerns about the safety of India's airspace.
The chief of India's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has defended the safety record of the country, stating that India's skies have always been safe.
In July, the DGCA uncovered 51 safety violations at Air India in the preceding year, as part of its annual audit of the country's airlines.
Families of four passengers who died in the plane crash have filed a lawsuit in the US against planemaker Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell, accusing the companies of negligence.
The lawsuit claims that the companies did nothing despite being aware of the risks associated with the aircraft's design.
