Sanjay Raut expresses 'suspicion' over Ajit Pawar's death, seeks detailed probe into plane crash
Sanjay Raut has alleged foul play in Ajit Pawar's plane crash, pointing to suspicious circumstances surrounding the former Deputy Chief Minister's death. NCP leaders have also questioned key details of the incident and demanded a high-level investigation.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday raised questions over the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, suggesting possible foul play in the plane crash that killed him. His remarks came at a time when speculation was rife about a possible reunion between the two warring factions of the Nationalist Congress Party. Raut alleged that Ajit Pawar faced pressure after expressing support for the proposed NCP merger and claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had used irrigation scam files to threaten him. According to Raut, the sudden death of Ajit Pawar within days of this episode was troubling.
"Questions will indeed be raised on the accident of Ajit Dada... questions should indeed be raised. The manner in which a leader like Ajit Pawar... a tall leader of Maharashtra died in a plane crash and the facts which are coming to light - it should be investigated... I think there is something dubious here," he said. "Something did happen behind the curtains… He died mysteriously within 10 days of that. What do we understand from this? This reminds us of Justice Loya," he added.
NCP leaders also voice doubts
Earlier, NCP leader Amol Mitkari had echoed similar suspicions, pointing to a sudden pilot change, a shift in the aircraft’s route and the condition of the bodies recovered from the crash site. "Not a single piece of paper was burned, but the bodies were burned. This raises some suspicions," he said. Mitkari said he had urged the Maharashtra Chief Minister to initiate a CBI probe and would also seek the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure a high-level inquiry.
Family urges restraint
Despite the political storm, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar appealed to everyone not to politicise the tragedy, insisting that the crash was an accident. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has already begun its formal investigation into the mishap that killed Ajit Pawar, his security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots on January 28 while the aircraft attempted to land at Baramati.
Sunetra Pawar takes oath as Deputy CM
Earlier on Saturday, Sunetra Pawar took oath as Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister, three days after her husband's demise. She was also allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf departments, but not finance and planning which Ajit Pawar held. 62-year-old Sunetra Pawar resigned her Rajya Sabha membership. She is not a member of either house of the state legislature at present and is expected to contest the byelection to the Baramati assembly constituency represented by her late husband.
Ajit Pawar's death
It is to be noted here that the NCP chief died in a charter plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Bramanti on Wednesday morning. 66-year-old Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. Notably, Ajit Pawar was also the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
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