Rohit Pawar questions DGCA’s probe, hints at manipulation of VSR records

Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar stated here on Tuesday that Rohit Singh, who is one of the directors of Delhi-based air charter company VSR Ventures which flew the late Ajit Pawar, was called for questioning on Monday.

“Information has been received that Rohit Singh was called for questioning yesterday as a pilot in connection with the investigation into the plane crash of late Ajit Dada and Rohit Singh had arrived in the country yesterday. Also, shocking information is coming to light that out of the 5000 hours of the ill-fated aircraft, VSR has records of only 1800 to 2000 hours, while records of the remaining 3000 hours are not available. Is the investigation being deliberately delayed so that VSR can manipulate and fabricate these missing records,” Rohit Pawar tweeted on his X handle on Tuesday.

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“What does that mean? The owner of the company responsible for the air crash is being called for questioning only as a ‘pilot’ while the leader of Maharashtra is gone? If the owner of VSR had come to India while the CID was investigating the criminal angle of Ajit Dada’s accident, why didn’t the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) find it necessary to inform the CID” Rohit Pawar tweeted.

Earlier, Rohit Pawar had alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) which is part of the BJP ruling alliance, has friendly relations with VSR Ventures, and that TDP leaders from Andhra Pradesh had attended the wedding of Rohit Singh, one of the directors of VSR Ventures, in Jaipur last year.

At a recent press conference, Rohit Pawar had presented what he described as a detailed report, framing the incident as a possible “political or commercial conspiracy”. He alleged that VSR Ventures was being protected by “very influential” political and business interests and this is where he also claimed that certain financiers of the company had links to the TDP.

Rohit Pawar had called for the resignation of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who is from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), citing alleged financial and political links between VSR Ventures and the TDP.

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Rohit Pawar had also alleged that one of the lenders to VSR Ventures was Heritage Finlease Limited, which is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) whose board of directors include members of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s family, namely his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari and daughter-in-law Brahman, creating a possible conflict of interest which could undermine the transparency of the investigation.

“Looking at the collusion between DGCA and VSR Ventures, as well as the discord between the investigating agencies, we fail to understand how valuable Ajit Dada’s life was. I hope the central and state governments will show some seriousness about the matter,” Rohit Pawar stated on X.