Ajit Pawar's plane crash death: Ramdas Athawale demands probe

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale demands a probe into Ajit Pawar's plane crash death, questioning how the flight operated. Rohit Pawar alleges a conspiracy. The AAIB and DGCA are investigating, and the aircraft's black box has been recovered.

Athawale Demands Probe Into Crash

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday demanded an investigation into the death of Maharashtra's former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP Chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash and called for action against the responsible officials involved. The Union Minister raised questions about how Ajit Dada's flight operated despite restrictions.

Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on January 28 in Maharashtra's Baramati. According to DGCA, five people, including the crew, on board the chartered plane flying from Mumbai, Maharashtra, to Baramati, died after a crash landing occurred at the runway threshold in Baramati. Speaking to reporters in Pune, the Union Minister said, "This should be investigated. If there was a ban on the company, how did it (aircraft) get there? How did it get permission to take off from the airport? This should be investigated, and action should be taken against any responsible officials involved. The captain attempted to land there, which led to this accident. This is an accident."

Rohit Pawar Alleges 'Larger Conspiracy'

Athawale's remarks come after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchand Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar claimed a "larger conspiracy" regarding Ajit Dada's aircraft crash. Addressing the press conferences, Rohit Pawar said, "Ajit Pawar's plane crash could be a part of the conspiracy. We also investigated some things about Ajit Pawar's accident. A book states that if you want to kill a person, the easiest way is to kill that person's driver. The day before the accident, Dada was supposed to come to Pune from Mumbai by car in the evening. At that time, the convoy had also started. But why did Dada not leave by car? Ajit Dada was supposed to meet a big leader."

He later added that Ajit Dada's plane crash incident "still feels like a nightmare". "The entire Maharashtra is questioning whether Ajit Dada's plane crash was an accident or a conspiracy. I am sharing with you all what I feel. Some people are still expecting Dada to come from somewhere. Some say 6 people were in the aircraft; it was not Ajit Dada's dead body; it still feels like a nightmare," he added.

Investigation Progress and Black Box Recovery

Meanwhile, 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.

Speaking to the media, MoS Mohol stated, "The black box has been recovered, and the AAIB team and the DGCA are working on it. I believe the data will be downloaded as soon as possible. Some analysis will be done, an inquiry will be held, and after that, I think the preliminary report will also be released." He highlighted that a detailed inquiry is underway, with the preliminary report expected shortly after completion of initial data analysis and assessments.

He shared that investigation teams comprising three officers each from the AAIB and the DGCA's Mumbai Regional Office arrived at the crash site on the day of the incident, and the Director General of the AAIB also visited the site the same day to oversee initial proceedings. "The probe is being conducted in accordance with Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025, to ensure a comprehensive and expeditious examination of the circumstances leading to the loss of control during the aircraft's attempted landing amid reported poor visibility," Mohol said. Authorities have stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that no premature conclusions should be drawn until the analysis is complete. The black box data is expected to provide critical insights into the sequence of events.

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