We suspect that Ajit Pawar’s death was sabotage, not an accident, says family

Ajit Pawar’s family suspects sabotage in his flight crash death, demanding an independent investigation amid claims of inconsistencies.

Ajit Pawar’s family has expressed suspicion that the flight crash in which he died last month was a sabotage and not an accident. Holding a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday (February 10, 2026), Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar raised several questions, and sought an independent probe by at least two international agencies.

He claimed that the last minute changes were made to the itinerary and that the crew was not vetted before being changed at the last minute. He also asked if fuel tanks were illegally carried on the craft and if the pilot had intended to crash the plane instead of landing it safely.

Meanwhile, a few leaders of NCP met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) and submitted a letter seeking a high-level, court-monitored probe in Pawar’s death.

During his one-and-a-half hour press conference, Mr. Rohit Pawar claimed that there were contradictions about the timing of the crash in the ATC transcript and in the report given by the Union Aviation Ministry. He also claimed that the transponder was switched off a minute before the crash. Casting aspersions on the pilot of the aircraft, he asked why the pilot did not utter a single word even when the plane was going down, and why were the last words uttered only by the assistant pilot. He claimed that wrong information was provided about visibility before the take off from Mumbai, and asked why the pilot repeatedly asked for permission to land on a more challenging runway on a tabletop, instead of landing on a clear runway, which was allegedly easier to land on.

He accused the investigating agencies of a lax attitude, claiming that the investigation was not being done with a sense of urgency. He expressed apprehension that the slow speed might lead to an opportunity for covering of tracks.

“Our main suspects are VSR, Arrow, Sumit Kapoor (pilot). There was misrepresentation that the visibility was clear. We trust the DGCA. We have no allegations against the government. But how can a CID probe find out details when an expert opinion is needed? Currently, the speed of the investigation is very slow. Is there no interest in the probe? Will it lead to the possibility of manipulation?” he asked during the press conference at YB Chavan auditorium in Mumbai.