27 February,2026 01:32 PM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar meets MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai to discuss concerns related to Ajit Pawar’s death in the plane crash. PIC/NCP (SP)
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) legislator Rohit Pawar met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday morning and discussed concerns surrounding the recent plane crash that claimed the life of his uncle and the then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, Rohit Pawar said he briefed Thackeray about the doubts he has regarding the crash and the ongoing investigation into the incident. He claimed that the MNS chief assured him of full support.
"Raj Thackeray felt this is not just about a case. It is about a Marathi person not getting justice and assured all help from MNS," Rohit Pawar said after the meeting.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash near his hometown Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district on January 28. Since then, Rohit Pawar has been holding press conferences, making presentations and even visiting Delhi to demand a deeper probe into the incident. Over the past two days, he has been pressing for a first information report (FIR) to be registered against the company operating the aircraft, VSR Aviation, after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reportedly grounded its aircraft.
However, local police have refused to register an FIR, stating that the crime investigation department (CID) is already probing the matter. Rohit Pawar argued that the current investigation is limited to an accidental death report (ADR).
"They are probing it as an accidental death, but the situation has changed. After the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) found fault with the aircraft operator, the case needs a thorough investigation into the firm operating the services and other serious concerns raised by us, including doubts about the pilot and issues related to the aircraft," Rohit Pawar had stated earlier.
Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra, who took over as Maharashtra's Deputy CM, recently met CM Devendra Fadnavis and has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident. Rohit Pawar has been demanding an investigation by Indian and international agencies and monitored by a panel comprising a retired judge and members from both the ruling and Opposition parties, including the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
