Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 18: The mystery surrounding the aircraft crash that claimed the life of senior leader Ajit Pawar has deepened, with NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday presenting additional documents and raising fresh allegations of sabotage.
Addressing a press conference, Rohit Pawar demanded that Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu be removed from office until the inquiry is completed, alleging that his continuation could hinder a fair probe. He claimed that the minister and his party had close ties with the owners of VSR Ventures, the company that operated the crashed aircraft.
Rohit Pawar called for the constitution of a high-level monitoring committee comprising former bureaucrats, retired judges, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and family members to oversee the investigation. He also demanded that a criminal investigation be initiated into the crash.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has sought a CBI inquiry into the incident. She, along with her son and party leaders, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to press for a detailed probe.
Rohit Pawar questioned the condition of the aircraft’s black box, stating that although the Civil Aviation Ministry claimed it was damaged due to heat, experts suggest black boxes can withstand extreme temperatures and are unlikely to be destroyed unless exposed to around 1,100°C for an extended period. He alleged that the portion of the aircraft where the black box was located was not severely damaged, terming the explanation a “lame excuse”.
He further alleged irregularities in the aircraft’s certification, claiming that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had issued an airworthiness certificate on September 16, 2021, and a registration certificate on December 27, 2022. According to him, the aircraft, which was purchased from the United States, had already exhausted its “Time Before Overhauling” and should not have been cleared for VIP services.
Rohit Pawar also questioned why the crashed aircraft reportedly had only a 30-minute cockpit voice recording capacity instead of the standard two-hour recording facility. He raised concerns over the black box being sent to Canada for analysis despite the availability of advanced laboratories in India.
He alleged that the aircraft had sufficient fuel to return from Baramati but instead crashed near the Baramati airstrip, leading to an explosion that killed Ajit Pawar, the pilot, co-pilot, a crew member and a security guard on January 28. Rohit Pawar claimed the crash was a deliberate act and demanded an impartial and transparent investigation.