Rohit Pawar meets Rahul Gandhi, seeks fair probe into Ajit Pawar plane crash

Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar faction MLA Rohit Pawar met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday and reiterated the demand for a fair investigation into the plane crash that claimed the life of senior leader Ajit Pawar earlier this yearAccording to Rohit Pawar the meeting focused on concerns regarding the investigation into the incident and the absence of a First Information Report FIR in the case so farRohit Pawar shares documents and details of crash caseSpeaking to reporters after the meeting Rohit Pawar said he presented detailed documents and files related to the incident to Rahul Gandhi during the discussionHe said senior Congress leaders including K C Venugopal were also present during the meetingldquoI shared all the relevant information I had in the files Rahul ji carefully went through the details and tried to understand the matter thoroughly He showed a good understanding of aviationrelated issuesrdquo Rohit Pawar said hellip pictwittercomiWQarTj32Wmdash Rohit Pawar RRPSpeaks March 12 2026He added that Gandhi expressed concern after learning that no FIR had been registered in Maharashtra in connection with the crashRahul Gandhi expresses concern over absence of FIRRohit Pawar said Gandhi was surprised that an FIR had not been filed despite the seriousness of the incidentldquoIn a democracy everyone has the right to file an FIR If such a senior leader is involved in the opposition and still an FIR is not being registered it raises serious concernsrdquo he said quoting Gandhirsquos reaction after reviewing the detailsAccording to the NCP SP MLA Gandhi assured that he would support further followup action related to the caseQuestions raised over aviation regulatory oversightRohit Pawar also said the discussion touched upon alleged links involving aviation operator VSR and raised questions regarding regulatory oversight by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau which functions under the Ministry of Civil AviationHe questioned how a fair investigation could take place if individuals connected to the case were linked to institutions responsible for conducting the probeldquoHe agreed that such a situation is wrong and said he will examine what steps can be taken nextrdquo Rohit Pawar saidRohit Pawar thanks Rahul Gandhi for supportLater in a post on social media platform X Rohit Pawar expressed gratitude to Rahul Gandhi for supporting the Pawar family and people of Maharashtra in their demand for justiceHe said Gandhirsquos support has given ldquostrength hope and couragerdquo to those seeking accountability in the matterPlane crash near Baramati claimed five livesThe controversy relates to a plane crash on January 28 involving a Learjet 45 aircraft VTSSK that was carrying Ajit Pawar from Mumbai to Baramati in Pune districtThe aircraft crashlanded near the runway while attempting to land at Baramati Airport killing all five people on boardThose who died included Ajit Pawar his personal security officer a flight attendant and two pilotsFollowing the incident the Directorate General of Civil Aviation constituted a multidisciplinary audit team which reported several noncompliances in operational procedures related to airworthiness flight safety and flight operationsThe regulator subsequently ordered a special safety audit of VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd the aircraft operator involved in the incidentWith inputs from Agencies