Italian daily Corriere della Sera has reported that last year's crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, in which 260 people died, was not caused by any technical defect but was the result of an intentional act.
The newspaper, citing its sources, said investigators believe that the commander of the aircraft switched off the engine fuel control switches, causing the aircraft to lose power and plunge to the ground.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Amol Mitkari shared the report on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday and said he suspects a similar sabotage angle in the plane crash involving the late Ajit Pawar.
Earlier on Tuesday, NCP-SP MLA and Ajit Pawar's nephew, Rohit Pawar, also said he suspected sabotage in the plane crash.
Addressing a press conference, Rohit Pawar questioned the track record of Capt Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the incident on January 28, citing his suspension for three years for alcohol consumption in the past.
He said the Crime Investigation Department (CID) would not have full authority to probe the incident and demanded a comprehensive investigation by multiple expert agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, the UK-based Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), along with Indian agencies.
Rohit Pawar pointed out that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) functions under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), raising concerns that all doubts surrounding the crash may not be cleared.
He further alleged that 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 said there were serious doubts about VSR Company, the handling company Arrow, which made the booking, and the pilot, Sumit Kapoor. "We do not believe this was a mere accident. There is room to suspect sabotage," he alleged.
(With PTI inputs)
