18 February,2026 12:37 PM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar addresses a press-conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. PIC/X
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Rohit Pawar alleged that attempts were being made to protect aviation company VSR Ventures in connection with the plane crash incident that killed late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar.
Objecting to Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu's statement that there was "no security lapse" in the plane crash incident, Rohit Pawar argued that such a premature conclusion raises doubts about the seriousness of the investigation.
Stating that a senior leader from Andhra Pradesh had attended the wedding of the VSR plane owner's son in Rajasthan, Rohit Pawar pointed out that the party from the same state currently holds the Civil Aviation Ministry at the Centre.
"Under these circumstances, one cannot expect a fully transparent and impartial probe, and reiterated his demand for an independent investigation mechanism," the NCP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) urged.
Ajit Pawar was killed in a plane crash on January 28 in Baramati, triggering demands from both the NCP factions and a section of the opposition leaders for an independent and thorough investigation.
Rohit Pawar, in his presentation, stated that the probe should not remain limited to government agencies alone, and called for an independent panel comprising a retired judge, senior opposition leaders from both the Houses of Parliament, and representatives from NCP and other political parties.
In his media interaction, Rohit Pawar even alleged that the Layerjet aircraft involved in the crash could not have been legally registered in India. He claimed that it was "illegally registered" with the help of certain officials in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and that was the reason behind his demand for an international investigation. Rohit Pawar also argued that the DGCA itself cannot be trusted to conduct an impartial probe.
"Why am I asking for an international agency and not the DGCA? Because the thief has been assigned the role of the police and the investigator," he remarked.
Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, who replaced him as the Maharashtra Deputy CM had met CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the plane crash.
Earlier, on February 11, Rohit Pawar had addressed a press conference demanding that the plane crash incident be probed by an international agency, claiming that the possibility of a conspiracy or a larger plot could not be ruled out. However, reacting immediately to the demand, CM Fadnavis urged everyone to place faith in Indian investigative agencies. The CM's remarks clearly indicated that for now, there is no question of handing over the probe to any international body.
Rohit Pawar also came down heavily on those trolling him for a probe. He said that it was even more disturbing that he was being trolled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sympathisers for raising questions and demanding a thorough investigation.
"Why troll me? I am only asking for an investigation. Why should anyone object to that?" he questioned, adding that he would respond firmly to those targeting him online.
