Mumbai: Amid mounting speculation over the plane crash that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), including deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar and national working president Praful Patel, met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The delegation, comprising Sunetra Pawar, her son Parth Pawar, Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare and medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, submitted a memorandum seeking a CBI inquiry into the January 28 crash.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash while he was heading to Baramati, his constituency, on January 28. The jet crash landed after failing to spot the runway, bursting into flames and leading to his death, along with his security officer Vidip Jadhav, pilot-in-command captain Sumit Kapur, first officer captain Shambhavi Pathak and flight attendant Pinky Mali.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tatkare said the chief minister assured the delegation that he would write to the Union home ministry requesting a CBI probe and was likely to discuss the matter with Union home minister Amit Shah.
The crash is currently being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), while the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) is conducting a parallel inquiry.
The demand for a CBI probe follows allegations by Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who questioned the circumstances surrounding the crash and suggested sabotage. He raised concerns about the maintenance practices of VSR Ventures, the owner of the aircraft, the pilot’s alleged drinking habits and certain last-minute operational decisions.
Notably, the memorandum submitted to the chief minister incorporated the questions raised by Rohit Pawar during his February 10 press conference. It cited serious irregularities and suspicious circumstances, and flagged several issues requiring investigation.
“Last-minute changes in the flight crew composition, requiring examination of operational decision-making and authorization; clear inconsistencies related to air traffic control communications and runway clearance sequencing; concerns regarding the functioning and integrity of critical onboard safety warning systems; absence of any recorded distress communications despite proximity to the landing phase; issues requiring forensic evaluation, including crew fitness, maintenance, compliance, and aircraft systems, etc,” the memorandum mentioned.
Tatkare said that while the Union civil aviation minister KR Naidu and minister of state Murlidhar Mohol have announced an inquiry by an autonomous agency, and the state government has ordered a CID probe, the scope of the investigation could be expanded if entrusted to the CBI.
“The NCP demands a detailed investigation. All doubts raised must be addressed and the findings should be placed before the people of Maharashtra and the country at the earliest,” he said.