The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has served a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) over its decision to summon Captain Varun Anand. Anand is the nephew of Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots who died in the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash near Ahmedabad in June 2025. The crash killed 260 people, including 241 on board. AAIB summoned Anand as part of its investigation into the tragedy. However, FIP says Anand "is neither a factual witness nor a technical witness nor an expert witness in relation to the said accident." The notice states, "The sole basis for calling Captain Varun Anand appears to be his familial relationship with the deceased Pilot-in-Command, which is impermissible in law and renders the summoning arbitrary and unsustainable." FIP highlighted that Anand is a commercial pilot for narrow-body aircraft and has no connection with the crashed flight's operation or maintenance. He was not at the crash site and holds no relevant information. The legal notice demands clarity on the specific role Anand plays in the probe. Meanwhile, AAIB said it has the power under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules 2025 to summon any witness it deems relevant. AAIB stated, "The investigator can require such a witness to furnish or produce information or evidence or to answer or return to any inquiries he thinks fit to make." FIP criticized the summons as lacking lawful investigative grounds, calling it "arbitrary" and "not rooted in any lawful investigative necessity." The legal notice was sent on January 11, 2026, and the AAIB's statement was issued on January 15, 2026.