Senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the plane crash that killed former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The demand comes amid growing questions over the circumstances surrounding the January 28 incident.
The delegation included deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar, her son Parth Pawar, NCP national working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare and medical education minister Hasan Mushrif. They submitted a memorandum urging a CBI inquiry into the crash.
Ajit Pawar was travelling to his constituency, Baramati, on January 28 when the aircraft crash-landed after failing to locate the runway. The jet burst into flames, killing Pawar along with his security officer Vidip Jadhav, pilot-in-command captain Sumit Kapur, first officer captain Shambhavi Pathak and flight attendant Pinky Mali.\
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Allegations, ongoing probes and CBI demand
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tatkare said the chief minister assured the delegation that he would write to the Union home ministry seeking a CBI investigation and was likely to discuss the issue with Union home minister Amit Shah.
At present, the crash is being probed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), while the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) is carrying out a parallel inquiry.
The call for a CBI probe follows allegations made by Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who questioned the crash circumstances and suggested possible sabotage. He raised concerns over the aircraft’s maintenance by VSR Ventures, the pilot’s alleged drinking habits and certain last-minute operational decisions.
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The memorandum submitted to the chief minister included the questions raised by Rohit Pawar at his February 10 press conference. It flagged “last-minute changes in the flight crew composition,” “clear inconsistencies related to air traffic control communications and runway clearance sequencing,” concerns about onboard safety warning systems, the absence of distress calls near landing, and issues requiring forensic examination of “crew fitness, maintenance, compliance, and aircraft systems.”
Tatkare said that while the Union civil aviation ministry has announced an inquiry by an autonomous agency and the state has ordered a CID probe, the scope could widen if the case is handed 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.
