Ajit Pawar flight crash: MLA Rohit Pawar writes to PM Modi, seeks Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu’s resignation

Referring to material shared by him at the press conference, Pawar said his team had flagged a series of “disturbing irregularities” in the operations of the charter company. These include alleged last-minute changes in Ajit Pawar’s travel schedule, replacement of pilots shortly before departure, and questions over whether the aircraft was airworthy. He claimed that information sought under the Right to Information Act and CCTV footage from the airport had not been shared, raising concerns about transparency in the investigation.

The NCP(SP) MLA also questioned the role of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in regulating the operator, alleging that “regulatory lapses” and “preferential treatment” could not be ruled out. In his letter, Pawar urged PM Modi to ensure that the DGCA’s functioning in relation to VSR is examined independently and that there is “no influence or interference” from political or corporate quarters.

Pawar said technical aspects of the crash raised further questions. He cited issues related to the aircraft’s maintenance history, safety checks, pilot duty time limitations and breath analyser tests, and alleged discrepancies in documentation. He also raised doubts over the handling of the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), arguing that conflicting accounts about damage to the black box and the decision to send components abroad for analysis warranted independent scrutiny.

Alleging that “a network of influential individuals across industry and politics” was linked to VSR, Pawar said this made it difficult to expect a transparent probe by domestic agencies alone. “This is why we are demanding an investigation by an independent and competent authority, preferably in collaboration with international agencies,” he said.

In the letter, Pawar also sought Naidu’s resignation, arguing that this was necessary to maintain the credibility of the investigation, given the alleged political links of the charter operator. “You have always shown respect for Ajit Dada and his contribution to public life. In this context, I request that the minister be asked to step down to ensure a fair and unbiased probe,” Pawar wrote.

Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the charter aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport on January 28.