MLA Rohit Pawar cites media report on AI accident to again raise questions on Baramati crash

Citing a report in a section of foreign media on the Air India Flight AI-171 crash last year, Nationalist Congress Party SP MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday said it has strengthened his suspicion regarding the plane crash that killed former Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

Citing a report in a section of foreign media on the Air India Flight AI-171 crash last year, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday said it has strengthened his suspicion regarding the plane crash that killed former Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday said the probe into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad was still in progress and no final conclusions have been reached. AAIB said media reports suggesting the probe into the accident has been finalised are ''incorrect and speculative''. ''After seeing the news (in a section of foreign media) that the pilot himself had turned off the fuel switch in the Ahmedabad aircraft crash, the suspicion expressed regarding Ajit Dada's plane accident has gained further strength,'' said Rohit Pawar in a post on X. The NCP (SP) leader's remarks came days after he expressed suspicion of a possible ''sabotage'' in the crash in which Ajit Pawar was killed. He demanded action against the private company that owned the aircraft involved in the accident last month. Then-Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and four others died after the chartered plane they were travelling in crashed at the airport in Baramati in Pune district on January 28. Rohit Pawar, a nephew of the late politician, said in the Baramati air crash as well, an investigation should be conducted to determine whether there was any pressure on the pilot. ''A thorough, in-depth and impartial investigation must be carried out,'' the Opposition legislator insisted. He sought a ban on operations of the company that owned the Learjet aircraft involved in the Baramati crash. The NCP (SP) MLA further said that if a contractor doing substandard work is blacklisted, and an official responsible for wrongdoing is dismissed, then the same rule should apply to companies that offer air services, in case of an accident. ''Why should there be no action against an airline company that provides life-threatening services? The same standard of justice should have been applied to the VSR company (which owned the plane that crashed in Baramati),'' he demanded. By now, a criminal case should have been registered against the company and its operations stopped, Rohit Pawar maintained. ''But why is that not happening? It remains an unanswered question. Or does the owner and partner of the company wield such influence that even the government is afraid to act against them?,'' he asked. The MLA said that if prominent personalities in the country, celebrities, and political leaders from across parties are availing the services of VSR company, are their lives as well as those of pilots and other staff not equally important? ''Therefore, I urge the government to take immediate action against the company and impose a ban on its operations within the country,'' he said. At a press conference in Mumbai on February 10, Rohit Pawar alleged there was reason to suspect a sabotage in the tragic air crash that killed his uncle and demanded a comprehensive multi-agency probe into the tragedy. Notably, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had ruled out conspiracy in the tragedy and termed it as an accident. Rohit Pawar had questioned the track record of Capt Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the crash on January 28, citing his suspension for three years for alcohol consumption in the past.

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