Mumbai: Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday called for a transparent, impartial and time-bound high-level inquiry into the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, following demands raised by members of the Pawar family after the recent plane crash.
Pilot, who was in Mumbai to meet state Congress leaders, addressed a press conference where he said the government must order a credible probe if the deceased leader’s family harbours doubts about the circumstances of the crash.
“If family members have concerns, the government should conduct a transparent, impartial and time-bound high-level inquiry. It is not the first aviation accident in the country. An impartial investigation will bring out the truth,” he said, adding that accountability in the private aviation sector has often been lacking and a structured probe would not harm anyone.
Moreover, Rohit Pawar, nephew of Ajit Pawar and a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), has publicly voiced multiple suspicions regarding the crash. He has demanded the resignation of Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu recently, alleging links between the minister and the private aviation firm involved, identified as VSR.
Rohit Pawar questioned operational decisions taken before the crash, claiming the pilot attempted landing at Baramati despite poor visibility instead of aborting the approach. He further alleged the aircraft carried an unusually large quantity of fuel—estimated between 3,000 and 3,500 litres—and additional fuel cans inside the cabin, raising suspicions that the crash may not have been accidental.
He also accused the aviation company of attempting to tamper with flight-related documentation and urged investigators to examine email communications linked to possible alterations in the flight plan by a Mumbai-based handler.
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Separately, Congress leader and AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala said the party would strengthen its organisational base in Mumbai while intensifying its political fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance.
Addressing the media after a meeting of the Mumbai Congress Political Affairs Committee at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Chennithala alleged misuse of government machinery, police and the election system during the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls. Despite intimidation of opposition candidates and large-scale use of money power, Congress workers stood firm to defend democratic values and the Constitution, he said.
The Congress contested the civic elections independently in response to workers’ demands and secured 24 seats in the 227-member municipal corporation, Chennithala added, asserting that the party would continue to take up civic issues affecting Mumbai residents while expanding its grassroots presence in the city.
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