Nov 08, Kathmandu - The investigation into a plane crash in India that killed 260 people about five months ago has been mired in controversy, with even the Supreme Court recently showing interest.

Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed into a building 32 seconds after takeoff on June 12. The initial report, released in July, has been criticized for focusing too much on the actions of the crew, distracting from potential malfunctions in the plane. On Friday, a judge in India's Supreme Court ruled that the captain of the plane should not be blamed.

A week earlier, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had admitted the crash was “absolutely devastating” for the people and families involved and claimed there was no problem with the plane. He said that an initial investigation by Indian authorities indicated “no fault with the aircraft, the engines or the airline’s operations.”

However, initial reports indicate that the fuel cut-off switches were moved from the ‘run’ to the ‘cutoff’ position a few seconds into the flight. This appears to have deprived the engines of fuel and caused them to lose thrust. After this, the cockpit voice recording indirectly mentions one pilot asking the other, ‘Why did we cut it?’ and the other responding, ‘I didn’t cut it.’

This has led to intense speculation about the role of the pilots, Captain Sumit Sabharwal and his first officer Clive Kunder. Lawyers for the victims' families have said it is unfair to blame the pilots without providing all the information, while some experts have even suggested the pilot committed suicide.