A new controversy has emerged in the investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash after the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) strongly objected to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) summoning a serving Air India pilot who is also related to one of the deceased crew members.

The pilots’ body has sent a legal notice to the AAIB, calling the move unnecessary and unfair. The federation said summoning Captain Varun Anand, the nephew of the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, has caused distress to the family and could harm his professional reputation.

Captain Anand was informed by Air India that the AAIB had asked him to appear before the investigation team on January 15. However, according to the FIP, the notice did not clearly mention the legal reason for summoning him, the purpose of his appearance, his connection to the investigation, or the capacity in which he was being called.

The federation said this lack of clarity has raised serious concerns.

In its letter to AAIB officials, the FIP said Captain Anand has no direct connection with the crash and was not involved in the operation of the flight or in the investigation process.

“Calling him without proper justification is completely unwarranted and amounts to harassment,” the FIP said. It added that the move could cause unnecessary mental stress to Captain Anand and damage his professional standing.

Despite the objections, the FIP said Captain Anand has agreed to cooperate with the investigation. He has informed the authorities that he is willing to respond to any questions and will appear through video conference if required.

The development has added a new layer of scrutiny to the ongoing investigation and intensified concerns over the handling of the Flight 171 crash probe.