Fear evidence will be manipulated: Rohit Pawar flags sabotage in uncle Ajit's crash
India Today
Rohit Pawar alleged possible sabotage in the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, saying key questions remain unanswered.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday alleged that there was reason to suspect sabotage in the tragic plane crash that killed his uncle and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last month, and demanded a comprehensive probe by multiple expert agencies.
Addressing a press conference, Rohit Pawar said several unanswered questions surrounding the January 28 crash raised serious doubts about whether the incident was a mere accident. “The entire Maharashtra is questioning whether Ajit Dada’s plane crash was an accident or a conspiracy,” he said.
Rohit Pawar questioned the sequence of events leading up to the crash of the Learjet aircraft near Baramati airport and expressed apprehension that evidence could be tampered with. “We fear evidence will be manipulated. We cannot trust reports alone. We need all CCTV footage and technical records,” he said.
He raised concerns about the aircraft’s maintenance and demanded clarity on technical documents, including the airworthiness report, tech log, line maintenance records, hangar CCTV footage, and details of heavy (base) maintenance. He also questioned whether the aircraft was examined before take-off and who certified it as airworthy.
Rohit Pawar alleged discrepancies in official reports, claiming there was a difference of over 20 seconds between timelines mentioned in DGCA and other reports. He further claimed the aircraft’s transponder was deliberately turned off one minute before the crash and asked how such a failure could occur suddenly.
He also questioned the decision to attempt landing on Runway 11, which he described as more difficult, despite Runway 29 being available. “Why make landing difficult when normal landing was available?” he asked, adding that visibility at the time of landing was reportedly below DGCA norms.
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