Amid raging debate over the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar, Jay Pawar, son of the deceased leader, on Wednesday, February 18, demanded a stringent investigation into the plane crash that killed him.
Jay Pawar voiced serious concerns regarding the safety protocols and the integrity of the ongoing probe.
He stated that black boxes in aircraft accidents could not be destroyed easily and that the public had a right to the "complete, transparent, and indisputable truth".
He called for an immediate ban on all flight operations by VSR Ventures, the aviation company whose flight the deceased minister had taken. He demanded an impartial and in-depth inquiry into potential "serious misconduct" regarding the maintenance of the company's aircraft.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the DGCA are currently leading a probe into the incident, which occurred during a landing attempt at Baramati Airport . Heavy fog and low visibility are cited as the apparent reasons for the accident .
The statement by Jay Pawar comes a day after the Nationalist Congress Party demanded a CBI probe.
A delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was accompanied by party working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare and youth leader Parth Pawar, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday and demanded a CBI probe into the death of Ajit Pawar.
The NCP highlighted several "serious irregularities and suspicious circumstances" surrounding the incident, including last-minute changes in the flight crew composition, which require scrutiny of operational decision-making and authorisations, and inconsistencies regarding Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications and the sequence of runway clearances.
The party also referred to concerns over the functionality and integrity of critical onboard safety warning systems.
Earlier, NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar at a press conference demanded that the Civil Aviation Minister, K Rammohan Naidu, and top DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials be removed
At the press conference, he alleged a "nexus" between the ministry, the DGCA, and VSR Ventures , claiming that the current leadership is biased and protecting the company.
Rohit Pawar also demanded that the case be treated as culpable homicide rather than "accidental death". He called for a formal FIR (First Information Report) to be registered against the owners of VSR Ventures and the technical staff who signed off on the flight's airworthiness.
He argued that since the crash involved a high-profile constitutional authority (the Deputy CM) and crossed state/departmental jurisdictions, the state CID lacks the "technical teeth" and "political independence" to investigate the Union-controlled aviation sector.