Considered quitting Air India job to look after father—family, friends remember Capt Sumeet Sabharwal
Amid police security, friends and family members broke down into tears after seeing the remains of the captain, whose body was placed in the society's complex area before being taken for the final rites.
Mumbai: Jal Vayu Vihar Sector 4, in Mumbai's Powai area, was sombre Tuesday as the society gathered to say their final goodbye to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot of Air India-171 that crashed in Ahmedabad last week.
Maal Singh, 68, a neighbour, said he was still in shock. 'We have known each other for a very long time. Mostly, we used to meet each other when Sumeet used to take his father out for walks in the society complex. He was a very polite and calm person. We are still in shock over what has happened.'
He said Sumeet was a family man and used to take care of his ageing father. He had been extra attentive since Sumeet's mother passed away 2 years ago.
Businessman Niranjan Hiranandani and local MLA Dilip Lande were among those who visited the Sabharwal residence to pay their respects.
A guard, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint that people had started pouring in from 6 am onwards. 'The complex started filling in from 6 am onwards. Even media persons, huge police security, big officers from the police force were present. A lot of them from neighbouring societies also came.'
At around 9:45 am, the body was taken for last rites, which were performed at an electric crematorium in suburban Chakala in the presence of family members. The family members left the crematorium around 11 am.
Captain Sumeet was the pilot of flight AI-171 to London that crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. 241 people aboard—229 passengers and 12 crew members—were killed, with only a sole person, a passenger, surviving. Investigations into the cause of the crash are still ongoing.
Remembered as a polite & smiling man
Sanjay Singh, his neighbour and friend, told ThePrint that earlier, Sumeet used to stay in Delhi, while his parents stayed in Mumbai.
However, in 2022, when his mother passed away, Sumeet shifted base to Mumbai to take care of his father.
'He was a doting son. He cared about his family a lot. Whenever he was around, he would not miss a single session of taking his father down for a walk. We used to all meet and greet in society,' said Sanjay Singh.
'In fact, even the day before the accident, I met Sumeet in the complex. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts, and was just a regular and smiling fellow. His father, Pushkaraj, was the senior most in our society, and all of us used to take his blessings,' he added.
His friends remember him as a caring and polite person. At one point, Sumeet had even discussed quitting his Air India flying job to take up a regular job so he could take care of his father.
'He was a thorough gentleman and a dedicated person. I am just in tears even thinking about him. He used to live in the building next to mine. A soul departed too soon. When I heard about the news, I couldn't believe it,' said 68-year-old neighbour Ratan Lal Singh.
His friends, whom ThePrint spoke to, recalled how the father went completely numb after hearing the news of the demise of his son. He is still in shock and is quiet, not in a condition to speak.
'What can he do? It is the biggest tragedy for any father. Normally, a son performs last rites for a father, but here, a father has to see his son depart before him,' said Sanjay Singh.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: Former CM Vijay Rupani's body released to family, last rites to be held in Rajkot
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
DGCA sends four show notices to Air India for violation of norms
NEW DELHI: India's aviation regulator on Wednesday issued four show cause notices to Air India for violations related to operational procedures, cabin crew training rules and their rest and duty norms. FILE PHOTO:A statement from Air India said it would respond to the notices within the stipulated two-week period. (REUTERS) The four notices were issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday, following the airline's voluntary reporting of the violations on June 20 and 21. A statement from Air India said it would respond to the notices within the stipulated two-week period. 'We acknowledge receipt of these notices from the regulator related to certain voluntary disclosures that were made over the last one year by Air India. We will respond to the said notices within the stipulated period. We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers,' the statement said. The airline has been given two weeks to respond to the notices. In all, the airline had reported 25 violations of norms. The violation of rules relating to the crew's duty and rest period, the notice stated, was in connection with flights operated on June 24, 2024, and June 15, 2025. Another notice was issued following voluntary disclosure on June 21 that reported three violations in cabin crew training and operational procedures. These were related to flights on December 1, April 10 and 11, 2024, and May 16 and 19, 2025. To be sure, the government has also started holding direct meetings with Air India management amid mounting safety incidents and ordered the carrier to maintain the highest safety standards. The first such meeting was held on Wednesday, in the midst of week in which an Air India aircraft caught fire at Delhi airport after landing from Hong Kong, a Kolkata-bound flight aborted takeoff due to technical issues, and a Kochi-Mumbai flight veered off the runway during landing in heavy rain. Air India has been facing enhanced surveillance after its flight from Ahmedabad following the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 that killed 260 people. The Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad marked one of aviation's deadliest tragedies in recent years and prompted comprehensive safety reviews. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has identified the fuel control switches, which were set to cut off during takeoff, as the main cause of the crash. Why the switches were flipped, or by whom, is now at the heart of the probe. Since that incident, at least 15 other operational issues and serious incidents have been reported involving Air India and its low-cost service arm Air India Express.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Air India operated flights violating pilot rest norms and training rules: DGCA
Civil Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation have issued at least four show cause notices to Air India over multiple violation of pilot rest rules, not fulfilling training requirements and deploying inadequate number of cabin crew on ultra-long haul flights, according to documents reviewed by ET. While Air India voluntarily reported the violations to the DGCA , they were done two days before the regulator was supposed to inspect the airline's records as part of its annual surveillance of the airline's main base at Delhi. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Degree CXO Data Science Technology Others Leadership Data Science Product Management MBA healthcare Data Analytics Digital Marketing Healthcare Finance others PGDM Public Policy Project Management MCA Cybersecurity Operations Management Design Thinking Management Skills you'll gain: Data-Driven Decision-Making Strategic Leadership and Transformation Global Business Acumen Comprehensive Business Expertise Duration: 2 Years University of Western Australia UWA Global MBA Starts on Jun 28, 2024 Get Details In one of the cases, three Air India pilots operated beyond the mandated weekly duty hours. The regulator asked Air India's head of operations Pankul Mathur to explain the lapse. The regulator had earlier asked the airline to remove head of its operations control centre and two other senior officials after it found that the airline had operated two flights on the Bengaluru-London route where the pilots exceeded the stipulated duty limit of 10 hours. In another case, two Air India pilots underwent simulator training but did not start flying within the prescribed time limit, a lapse that requires them to undergo training again. While in another case 17 pilots flew flights in and out of Kathmandu without a mandatory training. To operate out of airports like Kathmandu which are situated in hilly areas pilots require extra training as there can be lack of navigation aids, inadequate en route weather information and sudden weather changes like turbulence due to strong winds blowing through the valleys. 'Despite repeated warnings and enforcement actions in the past, these violations demonstrated a continuing failure to implement effective training governance and compliance monitoring mechanisms. This constitutes a serious safety and regulatory concern,' an official of DGCA wrote in the show cause notice. In another instance the airline operated flights to North America without adequate cabin crew. These flights were operated soon after the Pahelgam terror attack following which Pakistan had shut its airspace for Indian carriers increasing flight time for flights between India and North America. DGCA had temporarily extend the maximum duty hours and rest period for pilots on long-haul routes to allow the airline to tackle Pakistan's airspace ban. "We acknowledge receipt of these notices from the regulator related to certain voluntary disclosures that were made over the last one year by Air India. We will respond to the said notices within the stipulated period. We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers," an Air India spokesperson said. The regulator has increased surveillance on Air India following last month's crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft at Ahmedabad killing 270 people. A preliminary assessment by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that they are focusing on movement of fuel switches seconds after take-off leading to shut down of engines.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India for cabin crew rest, duty norms violations: Reports
India's aviation regulator DGCA issued four show cause notices to Air India for multiple violations regarding cabin crew rest, duty norms, training rules and operational procedures. Air India made voluntary disclosures to the DGCA on June 20 and 21.(Bloomberg/File) The aviation watchdog issued show cause notices to Air India for the violations on July 23, over a month after its Boeing 787-8 aircraft, bound for London, crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. The show cause notices were issued after Air India made voluntary disclosures to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 20 and 21, news agency PTI reported, quoting sources. The DGCA warned the airliner that it could face enforcement action for breaching safety standards, Reuters reported. What did DGCA's show cause notices say? The show cause notices cite a total of 29 violations, including pilots not being given mandatory rest, poor compliance with training requirements and lack of training for a high-altitude airport, according to Reuters. In an official statement, an Air India spokesperson said, "We acknowledge receipt of these notices from the regulator related to certain voluntary disclosures that were made over the last one year by Air India. We will respond to the said notices within the stipulated period. We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers." Also Read: 9 showcause notices to Air India for 5 safety violations in last 6 months: Govt However, the PTI report quoting sources said that three show cause notices were issued to Air India based on the violations of cabin crew duty and rest regulations during ultra-long-haul flights- two made on April 27 and one each on April 28 and May 2. There were violations reported in crew training and operational procedures during flights operated on July 26, 2024, October 9, 2024 and April 22, 2025. The aviation regulator also issued one of the show cause notices over violation of flight duty period/weekly rest violations during a flight on June 24 last year and June 13 this year, the report added. There were also three instances of violations of cabin crew training and operational procedures made during flights operated on April 10-11, February 16-May 19 and December 1, 2024. The Reuters report said that an Air India pilot flew from Kathmandu without the mandatory special simulator training required for the airport in April this year.
