AI-171 crash victim's family seeks US legal action, demands transparent probe

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 12 (ANI): Trupti Soni, sister of Swapnil Soni, who died in the Air India AI-171 plane crash, had called for a transparent investigation into the tragedy and announced plans to pursue legal action in the United States. She also accused the Indian government of releasing selective data without any context.
Speaking to ANI, Trupti Soni revealed that she is exploring the possibility of filing a product liability case in America.
"We are filing a case in America because this could be a product liability case. American laws are stringent about product liability. Before that, we need information about why this accident happened. We are considering filing a petition here to obtain raw data from the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. However, we have received no support from the Indian government till now," she said.
She stressed that government backing is essential to ensure accountability. "But we need the support of the Indian government so that it can be seen that the investigation that is taking place is very transparent and in the truest sense fair and free."
Soni criticised the limited disclosure of findings so far. "So far, the data that has been released is very selective without any context. It seems to me that the data and report that have come out raise a lot of questions instead of providing answers."
Expressing the family's need for closure, she added, "So, as a victim's family, we hope that this investigation ends as soon as possible and the correct root causes are placed before the people."
The family is holding out hope for justice through the American legal system. "We are still hoping for justice in the US court...we hope that if a case of production liability is made, the US court will take it seriously and give justice," she added.
On June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed soon after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. (ANI)