| Grief shrouds India this morning. Yesterday’s Air India crash, just minutes after takeoff, is now the deadliest aviation disaster in the country’s history. Of the 242 people aboard, including passengers, crew, and pilots, only one, seated in 11A, has survived. It’s also a grim milestone for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, long considered one of the world’s most advanced passenger jets. The crash marks the model’s first fatal accident, adding to its troubled safety record. What we know: The Boeing 787-8 involved in the crash entered India’s fleet 11 years ago. It was operating flight AI171 en route from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to the London Gatwick Airport. Shortly after takeoff from Runway 23, the pilots gave the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) a MAYDAY call. The plane attained an altitude of just 625 feet before plummeting to the ground in the residential area of Meghaninagar and crashing into the BJ Medical College’s hostel building. The impact killed 24 people on the ground, including four medical students. The probe: The crash will be investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). As Boeing is a US manufacturer, the AAIB can coordinate with international agencies. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched investigators to assist. Teams will analyse flight data, cockpit voice recorders, and ATC communication to reconstruct the final moments. The cause remains undetermined. For context, my colleague Arjun Sengupta explains why most air crashes occur during takeoff and landing. Lives lost: The Indian Express has documented stories of the lives cut short on AI171. Among the victims were former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, en route to visit family in London; a doctor couple; a new bride; a businessman with his family; a nurse from Kerala; and two sisters on vacation. The crew included a veteran pilot months from retirement, an airhostess with 11 years of service, and a 21-year-old from Manipur. The aftermath: The Tata Group, which took over Air India in 2022, announced a Rs 1 crore compensation for the victims’ kin. The final compensation, which would likely be around Rs 1.5 crore, will be governed by the Montreal Convention of 1999. As my colleague George Mathew reported, Air India is insured by TATA AIG and others, with estimated payouts expected to be around Rs 360 crore. The insurers will also cover aircraft loss. 🎧 For more on the Air India flight crash, listen to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. Moving on to other news.
Only in Express A month ago, a Supreme Court-backed panel found credence in allegations that wads of currency notes were discovered at the house of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. Now, the government is preparing to bring an impeachment motion against him. The case has sparked concerns about judicial accountability: who judges the judges? Two experts weigh in on the matter in this week's Dis/Agree column. Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Govind Mathur, insists that no law, even the one laid down by the Supreme Court in K Veeraswami v Union of India (1991), restricts the police from taking measures and registering a criminal case against a judge when necessary. Professor Shashank Maheshwari, meanwhile, writes that accountability must be enforced within a constitutionally protected framework that ensures independence from political pressures.
Must Read Early Friday morning, Israel carried out several strikes in and around Iran's capital, Tehran. In a video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the targets included Iran's nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile factories. Iranian media reported explosions at the country's central uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, as well as the Revolutionary Guards' headquarters and residential areas in Tehran. The Guards' chief Hossein Salami was reportedly killed in the strikes. Why is Israel attacking Iran? What happened to the White House’s negotiations with Tehran? Bashir Ali Abbas, an expert on the Middle East, breaks it down.
And Finally… Market regulator Sebi is cracking down on unregistered entities that mislead investors. It is set to introduce a new tool, called 'Sebi Check', to allow investors to identify legitimate Sebi-registered market intermediaries on UPI platforms before making payments to them. That’s all for today! Until next time, Sonal Gupta | 
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