Since the death of senior Maharashtra leader Ajit Pawar in the Baramati plane crash, Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader Rohit Pawar has been consistently questioning the circumstances leading up to the unfortunate crash. Former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others died on the morning of January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district.
While the NCP-SP leader has made many sensational claims regarding the plane crash, here are the five major allegations leveled by him against the related authorities.
1. ‘Not accident, but planned conspiracy’
Rohit has alleged that the plane crash was not an accident but a planned conspiracy. He said, “Ajit Pawar’s plane crash could be a part of the conspiracy. We also investigated some things about Ajit Pawar’s accident. A book states that if you want to kill a person, the easiest way is to kill that person’s driver. The day before the accident, Dada was supposed to come to Pune from Mumbai by car in the evening. At that time, the convoy had also started. But why did Dada not leave by car? Ajit Dada was supposed to meet a big leader.”
Furthermore, he stated that it is important to figure out whether the accident was a political controversy or a commercial controversy. He said, “If we talk about conspiracies, there can be two types of conspiracies: political and commercial. We want to find out which one it is. Another thing is that if someone is supporting or protecting the VSR company, which is responsible for it, that could also be a conspiracy. So many powerful people are behind this company. DGCA officials are behind it.”
2. ‘CVR was not functioning well’
In his most recent press address, Rohit Pawar claimed that the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) had a capacity of only 30 minutes in that flight in which Ajit Pawar was travelling. He highlighted that as per the government regulations and the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) requirement, it must have a capacity for two hours of recording.
He questioned, “So, if the aircraft’s CVR could record only 30 minutes, while the rule says it should be two hours, then how was that aircraft registered? That is something we all want to know. These 30 minutes refer to the final 30 minutes before the accident—the latest recorded segment. Whatever happened in those last 30 minutes can only be known through the CVR. It is being said it has been damaged but we don’t believe it. It is about what was actually recorded. From that recording, many important facts could come to light—facts that perhaps VSR or those backing VSR may not want to be revealed.”
3. ‘Aircraft carried additional illegal fuel tanks’
He also alleged that the aircraft carried additional illegal fuel tanks to reduce refuelling costs, which he claimed acted like a “bomb” on impact and triggered a larger explosion than normal.
4. ‘Civil Aviation Minister closely linked with VSR Ventures’
Rohit Pawar wrote a letter to PM Modi, urging immediate action against Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu. He alleged that Naidu issued statements that appeared to “clear” the company shortly after the crash.
He demanded that the Civil Aviation Minister and senior officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) step aside amid the controversy surrounding the crash. He alleged a “nexus” between the ministry, the DGCA and VSR Ventures, and demanded it to be investigated by an independent and competent authority.
“Letters will have to be written, efforts must be made, and fights must be fought. People have doubts, and I am addressing those doubts. Today, the proof presented relates to the TDP party. The TDP MP, who is now the Aviation Minister of the country, has close connections with VSR Company. Chandrababu Naidu’s family members have funded the company…”
Rohit Pawar stressed that the deeper we go, the clearer it becomes that this company has the support of very influential people. He said that only the Prime Minister and Home Minister can now ensure justice for Ajit Dada.
He also sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), arguing that since the crash involved a high-profile constitutional functionary and touched upon the Union-controlled aviation sector, the state CID lacked the technical expertise and political independence to conduct a fair investigation.
5. ‘Crash was 100 per cent intentional’
The NCP-SCP leader also voiced suspicions about the black box, saying that more than one blast occurred that day. He underlined that the additional petrol cans were kept in a separate area, which caused the fire, and demanded an investigation into the same.
Rohit Pawar also raised concerns over alleged missing technical data, claiming that the aircraft’s transponder was switched off in the final minute of the flight. He further alleged that CCTV footage from the hangar was being withheld and that a “backdated” audit was being prepared to shield the company.
He demanded that the Clearance Engineer, Quality Engineer, and Maintenance Engineer be held accountable and that a case of culpable homicide be registered against the owners of the aviation company.
Also read: Rohit Pawar may hire private detectives to probe Ajit Pawar plane crash