03 March,2026 06:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Chhagan Bhujbal. File Pic
Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday questioned the finding in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report that the ill-fated chartered plane carrying Ajit Pawar hit a few trees before crashing in Baramati, asking why nobody saw this happening, reported news agency PTI.
The Learjet 45 aircraft crashed in Baramati on January 28, killing all the five persons on board including then Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar.
"I am surprised. If the plane hit the trees, someone would have seen it," said Bhujbal, a senior state minister, talking to reporters, reported PTI.
As per the AAIB's preliminary report, CCTV footage from cameras installed in a nearby village showed the aircraft banking rightward and hitting some trees before crashing to the ground which is at a lower elevation than the runway surface. It was immediately engulfed in fire.
Meanwhile, Jay Pawar, son of Maharashtra's late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has shared a purported video on social media alleging that VSR Ventures owner Rohit Singh was seen dozing off in the chief pilot's seat during a flight, and demanded his immediate arrest.
He also demanded that all aircraft of VSR Ventures be grounded till the inquiry into his father's plane crash is completed.
VSR Ventures operated the Learjet 45 aircraft which crashed on January 28 with Ajit Pawar and four others on board at Baramati in Pune district.
Sharing the clip on a social media platform, Jay Pawar on Sunday stated, "We lost our father...this pain will stay with us for a lifetime. In this video, Rohit Singh, owner of VSR, is seen asleep in the chief pilot's seat during the flight. Such negligence while the aircraft is in the air is unacceptable. This is extremely serious and shocking."
He demanded that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take immediate and strict action in the matter.
"All VSR aircraft must be grounded with immediate effect until a complete investigation is conducted, and Rohit Singh should be arrested without delay and subjected to stringent legal action. This is a son's anguished appeal...for my father and for the safety of every passenger," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
