Plea In Madras High Court Seeks Advisories For Media Reporting In Aftermath Of Aviation Accidents, Says Prematurely Blaming Pilots Wrong

The plea, filed by an Advocate M Pravin from Coimbatore, sought for detailed guidelines to ensure that no premature or speculative statements are made in the aftermath of the accidents until official investigations are complete.

Pointing to the recent media reports blaming the pilots in the Ahmedabad plane crash, the plea stated that often after aviation incidents, news agencies and social media platforms publish unverified content prejudicing and attributing the blame to the pilots. The plea stated that such prejudicial reporting damages the reputation of pilots and their career prospects and affect their personal dignity and well-being.

The petitioner submitted that most often, media outlets blame the pilots even before the conclusion of investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) or other competent authorities. The plea also states that such premature blame on the pilots would undermine the public confidence in the aviation ecosystem and the integrity of the official investigation.

The plea submitted that casting blame on the pilots prematurely violates the principles of presumption of innocence and the fundamental rights of dignity and privacy guaranteed under Article 14, Article 19(1)(a), and Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner also pointed out that in cases where the pilot also loses life in an air accident, the pilot's family is put through additional trauma and humiliation and such conduct is antithetical to the principles of dignity and compassion enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner thus pointed out that the situation required urgent collaboration among the authorities and relevant stakeholders to establish mechanisms that promote responsible and ethical digital reporting.

Case Title: M Pravin v. The Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Others

Case NO: WP 26535/2025