Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis' 1st Reaction On Rohit Pawar's 'Conspiracy' Claim On Ajit Dada's Plane Crash, Says, 'Doubts Need To Be Clarified'

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, February 11, responded to the allegations of a 'conspiracy' surrounding Ajit Dada’s plane crash in Baramati, stating that doubts raised by Rohit Pawar need to be clarified. The CM's statement came a day after the NCP-SCP leader alleged the Baramati plane crash incident could be part of a conspiracy. "We do not believe this was a mere accident. There is room to suspect sabotage," Pawar alleged.

While speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said the aircraft's black box had already been recovered, and investigations on all fronts have commenced.

He said, "I believe that if anyone has any doubts, they should be addressed. From this perspective, the investigative agencies available under Indian law have already begun the kind of investigation expected in such cases. DG safety checks are the most important and are underway. The black box has been recovered, and we should wait for the investigation to be completed."

Moreover, the chief minister also informed that he himself was the first to write to the Union aviation ministry seeking a detailed probe into the accident that claimed the lives of Ajit Pawar, the pilot, the co-pilot and two others.

The CM said, "If we can learn from the errors or shortcomings in our civil aviation sector, we can fix them and make it safer for civilians and leaders as well."

What Did Rohit Pawar Claim?

Pawar is his address on February 10, alleged that the VSR Company, which owned the Learjet aircraft carrying the late leader, wielded influence over DGCA officials and could "get away with anything." "The final probe report of the 2023 crash involving a VSR company aircraft has already been submitted. Even now, VSR company planes continue to be used by high-ranking political leaders," Rohit Pawar said, questioning why the company's licence to operate was never scrapped.

He raised questions about why Ajit Pawar’s scheduled road journey on January 27 was abruptly cancelled despite a convoy being arranged, and why the decision was taken to travel by aircraft the next morning instead.

In another question, he also pointed to the change in the flight’s departure time, which was earlier scheduled at 7:00 am but departed later. Further, he also raised concerns over the last-minute replacement of pilots, questioning whether proper procedures and mandatory pre-flight checks were followed before assigning the new crew. Moreover, he also questioned the track record of Capt Sumit Kapoor, citing his suspension for three years for alcohol consumption in the past. Rohit Pawar questioned, "Despite Sumit Kapoor’s poor track record, how was he called upon to operate a flight for a VVIP figure like Ajit Dada?"

Do Not Use Any VSR plane.

Earlier today, Pawar while addressing a press conference, requested that political leaders not use any VSR plane, no matter how big the emergency is. "Even today, be it our CM, our Minister, our leader or a few days ago, Sachin Tendulkar had come to Delhi. He had also used VSR aircraft there," adding that, "The way VSR maintains the aircraft is incorrect."

Further, hitting out at the aviation company, he said that the European Aviation Safety Agency had cancelled the authorisation of VSR over the 2023 incident.

Pawar also raised doubts about VSR owner Vijay Kumar Singh, who said that the aircraft was in good condition and the accident likely occurred due to visibility issues. Calling his statement 'wrong', Pawar added that, "A local had said that the aircraft sound was different from usual and it was flying at an unusually low altitude. We have seen in the video that the aircraft stalled, and within seconds, it crashed."