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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging a "time-bound," "transparent," and "comprehensive" investigation into the plane crash that claimed the life of Ajit Pawar, taking forward a request by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar.
In his letter, CM Fadnavis referenced Rohit Pawar's concerns regarding the safety record of aircraft operator M/s VSR Ventures, flight crew deployment and duty norms, aircraft maintenance and airworthiness, discrepancies in flight data and records, operational decisions during landing, and the adequacy of regulatory oversight. "In connection with the aircraft accident near Baramati on 28th January, 2026, in which Late Shri Ajit Dada Pawar, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and four other persons were travelling and tragically lost their lives, a number of concerns have been raised by public representatives regarding the circumstances leading to the incident," the letter said. "A representation dated 4th March, 2026 has been received from MLA Shri Rohit Pawar, highlighting several issues which, according to him, warrant careful examination during the course of the investigation. The representation, inter alia, highlights the following issues for examination: 1. Safety record of the aircraft operator: Reference has been made to a previous accident involving the same operator M/s VSR Ventures, in 2023 and to reported safety observations by international aviation regulators, raising questions regarding regulatory compliance and oversight," the letter added. Rohit Pawar has repeatedly alleged a potential conspiracy behind the accident involving the plane carrying Ajit Pawar, claiming that a "big power" is shielding VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, the aircraft operator. On March 12, Pawar met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in the national capital, reiterating the demand for a fair investigation into the Ajit Pawar plane crash case. During the meeting, Rohit Pawar shared all relevant files and details, with KC Venugopal and other Congress leaders also present. The NCP (SP) MLA informed that Gandhi reviewed the information carefully, demonstrating a strong understanding of aviation matters, and expressed concern upon learning that an FIR has not been registered in Maharashtra. Rohit Pawar further mentioned that Gandhi assured support for follow-up action, including addressing related issues involving VSR, VK Singh, TDP, and the AAIB, which functions under the Ministry of Aviation, stressing that justice cannot be delivered if the head of the institution is linked to the case. Ajit Pawar died on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) carrying him crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft went down 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. He was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections. The DGCA constituted a multi-disciplinary audit team that observed several non-compliances of approved procedures in the organisation in the area of airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations and ordered a special safety audit of M/s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. (ANI)
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