New Delhi/IBNS, Oct. 16 -- The father of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the ill-fated AI 171, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a judicially monitored probe into the deadly crash that had left the country shellshocked earlier this year, media reports said.

Pushkaraj Sabharwal, 88, is the first petitioner followed by the Federation of Indian Pilots.

The petitioners claimed the preliminary investigation into the crash is "profoundly flawed" and said the probe team is focussing solely on the pilots, who are no more to defend themselves.

"Only a judicially monitored, expert-driven investigation, independent of the regulatory authorities, can ensure a thorough, transparent, and credible determination of the true causes...