Ajit Pawar death: Attempts being made to shield aviation firm VSR Ventures; international probe needed, says Rohit Pawar

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 PawarObjecting to Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidursquos statement that there was ldquono security lapserdquo in the plane crash incident Rohit Pawar argued that such a premature conclusion raises doubts about the seriousness of the investigationStating that a senior leader from Andhra Pradesh had attended the wedding of the VSR plane ownerrsquos son in Rajasthan Rohit Pawar pointed out that the party from the same state currently holds the Civil Aviation Ministry at the CentreldquoUnder these circumstances one cannot expect a fully transparent and impartial probe and reiterated his demand for an independent investigation mechanismrdquo the NCP Member of Legislative Assembly MLA urgedAjit 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 investigationRohit 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 partiesAjit Pawar death lsquoThief has been assigned the role of investigatorrsquo says Rohit PawarIn 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 ldquoillegally registeredrdquo 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 probeldquoWhy am I asking for an international agency and not the DGCA Because the thief has been assigned the role of the police and the investigatorrdquo he remarkedAjit Pawarrsquos 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 crashEarlier 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 CMrsquos remarks clearly indicated that for now there is no question of handing over the probe to any international bodyRohit 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 investigationldquoWhy troll me I am only asking for an investigation Why should anyone object to thatrdquo he questioned adding that he would respond firmly to those targeting him online