Rohit Pawar questions investigation into Ajit air crash, demands international probe

Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar raised on Tuesday several questions about the January 28 air crash that killed late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati here, and added that either France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the UK government’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) or the US government’s (federal) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) should probe the incident, besides the investigations being conducted by Indian agencies.

Raising serious concerns about the investigation so far, Rohit Pawar asked, “Where is the CCTV footage of the hangar? No investigation has been done so far. All these things can be manipulated if this is not done properly”.

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Talking to media persons here at the Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan Centre in South Mumbai, Rohit Pawar made a detailed PowerPoint presentation and said, “Everyone has this question in their mind: was it an accident or something else?”

“Did the plane carry excess fuel tanks? CCTV footage should be scanned to see if they did. Such an act is not just illegal but also acts as a bomb. Was the pilot directed to save fuel? Why didn’t they take another roundabout? Was there an alternative for landing?” he asked.

Rohit Pawar called his late uncle Ajit Pawar’s death “either an accident or a possible conspiracy”. “This is a presentation I have made with my team. We have gathered information and tried to present whatever we could find,” he said.

“Why was the schedule changed? Dada was to leave Mumbai on the evening of January 27 to reach Pune. His convoy was ready, too. A big leader met him. He got delayed. So the plan was changed, and he decided to travel on the morning of January 28. Dada was very cautious about flying. He never took a risk about flying. He reached the airport on time but left late. Either the BEA (France), AAIB (UK), or NTSB (USA) should conduct a probe, apart from the government investigation,” Rohit Pawar demanded.

He said that at 7:10 am on January 28, the pilot had inquired about visibility in Baramati, and an “all okay” report was given, but raised questions about maintenance of the aircraft on the basis of an eyewitness account according to which the plane made “weird sounds”.

“Where is the technical log of the aircraft? Where is the airworthiness report of the aircraft? Who had done the routine check-up? Investigators need to speak to those who must have done all these inspections and written all the reports,” Rohit Pawar said.

He also raised concerns about the aircraft’s pilots and the Delhi-based Vista Sales Private Limited (VSR) company, which operated the Learjet 45 that supposedly crashed while attempting to land at Baramati table-top airstrip in the Pune district on January 28, killing his uncle Ajit Pawar and four others. He said the history of the company, including a 2023 Learjet accident whose report he believes is being suppressed, must be reviewed.

“Why was the main pilot changed before the flight? Pilots Sahil Madan and Yash were changed at the last minute. It is important to see why pilot Sumit Kapoor returned from Hong Kong. Was he drunk when he boarded the flight?” Rohit Pawar asked, citing Kapoor’s past record of drinking as well as pre-flight alcohol tests in 2010 and 2017, besides missed training sessions in the US due to drinking.

Rohit Pawar called for an investigation into internal WhatsApp chats of the VSR company regarding the sobriety of its pilots and questioned the safety and operational practices of the Delhi-based Vista Sales Private Limited (VSR), the operator of the crashed aircraft, by highlighting potential lapses, including the aircraft’s 16-year age, the absence of hangar CCTV footage, possible manipulation of flight duty time limits, and non-functioning cockpit voice recorders.

Rohit Pawar urged authorities to check if routine and heavy maintenance were properly conducted and whether the aircraft was airworthy. He stressed the need for accountability, saying that ministers continue to use VSR flights despite the accident. He called for a full inquiry into mechanical, procedural, and regulatory lapses to ensure that justice is done to the late Ajit Pawar’s family.