Mumbai: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday intensified his attack over the January 28 Learjet 45 crash in Baramati that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others, alleging attempts to shield the aircraft’s owner, VSR Ventures, and demanding the removal of union civil aviation minister KR Naidu until the probe is completed.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, he also sought an immediate ban on VSR Ventures and called for the appointment of an independent committee to monitor the investigation. He also hinted at the involvement of some NCP leaders in the crash conspiracy, who were not happy with the merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions.
Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati when his plane crash landed after reportedly failing to spot the runway and burst into flames. He died in the incident along with his security officer Vidip Jadhav, pilot-in-command Captain Sumit Kapur, First Officer Captain Shambhavi Pathak and flight attendant Pinky Mali.
Rohit Pawar’s fresh allegations come a day after a NCP delegation, comprising deputy chief minister 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. Even earlier, on February 10, Rohit Pawar held a press meet, raising questions over the pilot’s track record, the firm owning that plane, and also the extent of the probe being carried out by the state’s criminal investigation department (CID).
Speculations on the pilot’s involvement
Rohit claimed that the pilot may have been blackmailed, as he was going through personal and financial problems. To support his claim, he said the pilot had been without a job for five years after the shutdown of operations by Jet Airways and that VSR Ventures had hired him at a significantly lower salary compared to his previous employer.
Calls and text messages to VSR Ventures’ owner, Vijaykumar Singh, seeking his comments, went unanswered.
Demand for suspension of union aviation minister
Demanding Naidu’s removal, the NCP (SP) MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar alleged that the minister represents the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and that its top leaders are close to VSR Ventures, leading to suspicion.
“Vijaykumar Singh’s son, Rohit Singh’s wedding was held in Jaipur two years ago, and top TDP leaders were among the guests. K R Naidu, who belongs to the same party, gave a clean chit to VSR even before the investigation by saying there were ‘no safety concerns with Learjet aircraft operated by VSR’. This gives us reason to question the delay in the probe,” Rohit said.
He said no action had been taken against VSR Ventures after the accident and that its operations were continuing in several states, including Maharashtra, as usual. “In such a situation, how can we expect a transparent investigation? We demand Naidu’s removal until the probe is completed. I am not saying he was involved, but there is a perception that he is trying to save VSR Ventures,” he alleged.
Rohit also claimed that the aircraft’s airworthiness certificate was obtained a year before its registration, which he termed illegal. “The airworthiness certificate, which certifies that an aircraft is fit for safe operation, was issued in 2021, whereas the aircraft was registered a year later in 2022. Ideally, the sequence should be the other way around. Hence, my suspicions are valid,” he said. He further alleged that the aircraft had exceeded its operational life but was still in service at the time of the crash on January 28.
Internal party politics
Referring to NCP-NCP (SP) merger talks with Ajit Pawar, Rohit claimed that there were some NCP leaders who opposed it. Rohit said that the merger was possible on two conditions, both of which were not acceptable to them. “One option was that NCP (SP) would join the government and share the power, and a few individuals in the NCP may not have liked it. In the other scenario, Ajit Dada (Pawar) would have decided to come out of the government, and the same set of NCP leaders may not have liked it either, and they may be behind the plane crash,” he said.
He hinted at the involvement and conspiracy of some NCP leaders behind the crash, without naming anyone.
Independent monitoring body
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.
Referring to a plane crash in the United States, Pawar questioned the delay in releasing a preliminary report in this case. “Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 crashed on April 17, 2016, and its primary investigation report was released within two days. In our case, even after 20 days, we are still waiting,” he said, alleging that the delay could allow the company to manipulate evidence and reiterating his demand to ban VSR Ventures.
Rohit demanded the appointment of an independent panel to monitor the probe and suggested including the leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi, a retired judge, and members from Ajit Pawar’s party. Continuing his suspicions, he also claimed that Rohit Singh had moved to Miami, United States, soon after the incident and questioned how he was allowed to leave the country.
Suspicion over black box damage
He also raised questions about the condition of the aircraft’s black box. “The black box was reportedly damaged even though the rear portion of the aircraft, where it is located, was not burnt. A black box is designed to withstand extreme impact and fire. It is covered in two layers — titanium and aluminium alloy. Despite this, the reported damage has deepened suspicions of manipulation to protect VSR Ventures,” Rohit said.
Displaying images of the damaged aircraft, he pointed out that the rear section appeared intact. “Even the cables were not burnt, as seen in the pictures. So how was the black box damaged when it is located in the same rear section?” he asked, raising doubts over the circumstances of the crash investigation. Referring to a recently surfaced video allegedly showing a blast captured by locals who reached the spot soon after the crash, he said the footage supports his claim that the aircraft was carrying additional fuel cans to cut costs.