Ajit Pawar crash: Victim's father demands probe, echoes conspiracy fears

The father of a crew member killed in the charter plane crash that claimed Ajit Pawar's life has expressed doubts about the incident, supporting calls for a thorough investigation to determine if it was a conspiracy or a genuine accident.

Victim's Father Demands Investigation

Shivkumar Mali, the father of crew member Pinki Mali, who tragically lost her life in the charter plane crash in Baramati, has expressed serious doubts regarding the circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawar's death. Echoing the sentiments of Rohit Pawar, Mali called for a thorough investigation into the incident, asserting that the family deserves to know whether their daughter's death was the result of a conspiracy or a genuine accident. Speaking to ANI, Mali said, "Whatever Rohit Pawar is saying, I have also started having a doubt about it. I agree with some of what he said. If there is a conspiracy, an investigation must be done. If it is an accident, the facts will only be known after a thorough investigation. At least we need to know whether our daughter died because of a conspiracy or an accident. The entire country is waiting for this to be revealed."

The father of the late crew member Pinki Mali also said he has not been contacted by the government regarding compensation. "I have not been contacted by the government for any compensation. The company should have contacted us regarding allowances and other details. The company did not even inform us about the incident. We want free inquiry about this incident," added Mali.

Rohit Pawar Alleges Conspiracy

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar, in his press conference, raised his doubts over the circumstances surrounding his uncle Ajit Pawar's plane crash, suggesting it might be a conspiracy. Citing the Arrow company's handler, Manoj Pawar, the NCP (SP) leader hinted that the plane crash did not occur due to a visibility issue in Baramati. "Ajit Pawar was a big political leader for Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra have doubts about his plane crash. We have compiled some information in last 13 days based on our sources. We are emotional about this matter. The most important thing here is that Manoj Pawar is the handler of the Arrow company," Rohit Pawar said.

Contradictory Statements on Visibility

"Manoj Pawar said 'Visibility is okay' in a group that included Ajit Dada's PAs, Maharashtra Aviation Director, and the pilot. VSR Owner Vijay Kumar Singh said, 'The aircraft was well maintained, pilots were experienced, and the accident occurred likely due to visibility issues.' There is something wrong with this statement," he added.

Calls to Review Aircraft's Tech Log

Later, he demanded that the investigating agencies review the tech log and other documents to identify the officials who signed them before the flight. "A local said, 'The plane carrying Dada had a different sound and was flying low'. When the aircraft was stalled, the stalling could also be manual, or there may be a mechanical error. The pilot or anyone would have had that reaction, as it was by Pilot Pathak. You have to maintain the aircraft daily. Who signed the Tech Log? We demand that the documents need to be looked into during the investigation," he added.

Official Investigation Underway

On February 7, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation are making rapid progress in probing the fatal crash of a chartered Learjet 45 that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with his personal security officer, the pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendant near Baramati Airport. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that the black box from the ill-fated aircraft has been successfully recovered and is under analysis.

Earlier, 66-year-old Ajit Pawar died on the morning of January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board. Among the deceased were Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant, and two pilots. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)