NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has intensified his criticism of VSR Ventures and aviation authorities over the plane crash that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. On Wednesday, he raised fresh doubts about the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), calling it misleading and unreliable.
Rohit Pawar questioned the report’s claim that the aircraft had hit trees near Baramati airport. According to him, there are no trees near the crash site except a few bushes located far away.
“The aircraft didn’t even touch them. This observation is completely wrong,” he said. He also pointed out what he called a major contradiction in the report. While the AAIB said the aircraft banked to the right before crashing, Rohit claimed available footage shows it tilting to the left.
“If they cannot even get the direction correct, how can we trust the rest of the report?” he asked.
Black box row deepens
The crash involved a Learjet 45 owned by VSR Ventures, which went down in Baramati on January 28, killing all five people on board. The preliminary report was released on February 28.
A major part of Rohit Pawar’s criticism is focused on the aircraft’s black box. He displayed photographs of what he claimed was the black box recovered from the crash site. According to him, it appeared undamaged in the images.
Rohit alleged that a deputy director of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), identified as Ramachandran, had signed a document at the Baramati police station stating that the black box was intact. However, the DGCA later said that both parts of the black box the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) suffered heat damage.
Rohit strongly disputed this claim. He said the black box had been replaced in May 2021 and was equipped with the latest technology. “There is no reason why it should get damaged like this,” he argued.
Demand for transparency
He further alleged that authorities might be trying to shield VSR Ventures and other influential investors by manipulating the investigation. He even suggested that if the black box had not actually been replaced in 2021 as claimed, officials could be trying to hide that fact.
To verify the details, he said the model and serial numbers of the black box could be checked with its manufacturer, Honeywell.
Rohit also claimed that local residents had reported seeing a recce of Baramati airport by unknown individuals before the crash. He said this angle should be thoroughly investigated, hinting at a possible conspiracy.
According to Rohit Pawar, the AAIB report indirectly supports some of his earlier claims. These include allegations that the aircraft had exceeded its permitted flying hours by 3,000 hours, that visibility in Baramati was poor on the day of the crash, that excess fuel had been filled, and that Ajit Pawar’s travel was not originally scheduled for that day.
