Rohit Pawar said at a press conference that several unanswered questions surrounding the January 28 crash raised serious doubts about whether the incident was merely an accident. “The entire Maharashtra is wondering whether Ajit Dada’s plane crash was an accident or a conspiracy,” he said.
Rohit Pawar questioned the sequence of events that led to the crash of the Learjet aircraft near Baramati airport and expressed fears that evidence could be tampered with. “We are afraid that evidence will be manipulated. We cannot trust the reports alone. We need all the CCTV footage and technical data,” he said.
He expressed concerns about the maintenance of the aircraft and demanded clarity on technical documents, including the airworthiness report, the technical logbook, the line maintenance data, camera images of the hangar and details of major (basic) maintenance. He also questioned whether the plane had been examined before takeoff and who had declared it airworthy.
Alleging discrepancies in official reports, Rohit Pawar claimed that there was a difference of more than 20 seconds between the timelines mentioned in DGCA and other reports. He further claimed that the plane’s transponder was deliberately disabled a minute before the crash and asked how such a malfunction could suddenly occur.
He also questioned the decision to attempt to land on runway 11, which he described as more difficult, despite runway 29 being available. “Why make landing difficult when a normal landing was possible?” he asked, adding that visibility at the time of landing was reportedly below DGCA standards.
Rohit Pawar cited eyewitness accounts, including a villager who claimed that the sound of the plane was different from normal, and a CCTV clip from a gram panchayat that reportedly showed the plane spinning 360 degrees in the air. He also questioned whether the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System was functioning and how the plane flew dangerously close to a temple, as witnesses claim.
He raised doubts about the conduct and history of the pilot, Captain Sumit Kapoor, citing previous suspensions for alcohol consumption. He alleged that Kapoor remained silent during critical moments before the crash and wondered why a second ‘go around’ was not attempted. He also wondered whether the cockpit voice recorder and push-to-talk system were functioning properly.
Rohit Pawar alleged that the originally assigned pilots, Sahil Madan and Yash, did not fly the aircraft due to last-minute changes. “Why weren’t the assigned pilots there? Were they really stuck in traffic?” he asked, demanding detailed phone records to verify their movements.
He also questioned the role of VSR Company, which owned the plane, and Arrow Company, which handled the booking. He alleged that VSR exerted influence over aviation authorities and pointed out that senior political leaders continued to travel on VSR aircraft even after the crash.
“The final investigation report of a 2023 crash involving a VSR aircraft has already been submitted, but no action has been taken yet. Why is VSR being given preference?” he asked. He further alleged that the European Aviation Safety Agency had taken strict action against VSR in the past and revoked its TCO license.
Rohit Pawar demanded that VSR company officials be charged with manslaughter and held responsible along with the approval, quality and maintenance engineers.
He also questioned the pace of investigation and the CID’s authority to investigate incidents within airport premises. “We trust the CID, but they do not have full authority to enter airports,” he said, demanding the involvement of multiple expert agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety and the Britain-based Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Rohit Pawar clarified that he was not accusing any political leader but was raising doubts based on the information available. “I have no technical knowledge of this, but I want all the evidence. I want everything made public,” he said.
Notably, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had earlier ruled out any conspiracy and termed the crash an accident. Reacting to this, Rohit Pawar said that Sharad Pawar made his statement within hours of the crash when there was limited information available.
Ajit Pawar, pilot Captain Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak, PSO Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali were killed when the Learjet crashed near Baramati airport in Pune district.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation have recovered the black box, while the Maharashtra CID has initiated an investigation. The Pune Rural Police initially registered a case of accidental death, which has since been transferred to the CID.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the investigation will follow a time-bound approach.
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