Kalyan Atole, the sarpanch of Gojubavi village in Baramati, where the late Ajit Pawar died in an air crash, met NCP founder Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Baramati and informed him about an unknown man who was seen coming out of the crashed aircraft.
“The door of the crashed aircraft was open at the time of the accident. Initially, we saw a person wearing blue pants coming out, but later we did not see him. We also did not know that Ajit Dada was onboard and thought it belonged to some businessman,” Gojubavi village sarpanch Kalyan Atole told Sharad Pawar.
Incidentally, Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLA Amol Mitkari was the first to speak about what Gojubavi village sarpanch Kalyan Atole told Sharad Pawar on Wednesday.
Mitkari also raised questions about the quality of the aircraft on which the late Ajit Pawar had flown and the background of the pilots. “On what criteria was the Learjet 45 aircraft, which has a history of accidents and safety defects, chosen to transport a very important person like the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar? Also, pilot Sumit Kapoor had a record of government action and suspension for alcohol-related reasons and was asked to fly the aircraft at the last moment. Whose decision was this, and on what medical fitness, CRM, and safety clearance was it made?” Mitkari asked. He shared a photograph of a burnt chair recovered from the crashed aircraft at the accident site.
Mitkari said that after visiting the air crash site at 5 pm on the day of the accident, Gojubavi village sarpanch Kalyan Atole told him about what he had witnessed. “He said he saw someone trying to jump out of the aircraft. The sarpanch told me that as they tried to save the person coming out of the aircraft, there was a sudden explosion,” Mitkari said.
Mitkari said it was his firm resolve to continue fighting until the truth behind Ajit Pawar’s death comes out. “If Ajit Pawar was assassinated, then it is the responsibility of everybody who loves him to avenge his death.”
In a related development, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare also raised questions about the quality of the aircraft in which the late Ajit Pawar was travelling.
Speaking at a Zilla Parishad election campaign meeting in Solapur district on Wednesday, Sushma Andhare expressed doubts over the plane crash that killed the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last Saturday. “Why was an aircraft that had been declared unfit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) a year ago allotted for Ajit Pawar’s travel?” Sushma Andhare asked.
“The aviation regulatory authority should provide information about Ajit Dada’s air crash. However, the BJP is giving different answers. Many questions remain unanswered, and no one is giving any concrete answer. People are wondering if Ajit Pawar was assassinated. Why is the BJP angry about people asking questions?” Sushma Andhare said.