Ajit Pawar plane crash probe: Maharashtra CID questions VSR Ventures officials in Pune

On February 26, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) MLA and Ajit Pawar’s nephew Rohit Pawar submitted his statement under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to the CID office in Pune.

On the same day, Rohit Pawar and his cousin Yugendra Pawar, also an NCP (SP) leader, approached the Baramati police, seeking the registration of an FIR against VSR Ventures and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials.

CID probe in Ajit Pawar plane crash

Subsequently, in a press briefing, Sunil Ramanand, Additional Director General of Police, CID, said, “An accidental death case has been registered at Baramati Taluka police station with regard to the aircraft accident. The probe of this case was immediately transferred to the CID by the Director General of Police of Maharashtra.”

“The scope of inquiry is to probe whether there was any criminal conspiracy of sabotage, criminal negligence or illegal omission behind the crash. This probe is heading in the right direction, and since the beginning, it has been conducted with utmost professionalism. For this probe, we have received support from Baramati Government Medical College, Forensic Sciences Laboratory, various aviation authorities and other central agencies.”

The Aircraft Accident Investigation (AAIB) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is investigating the Baramati plane crash. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra CID is conducting an inquiry into a case of accidental deaths registered with the Pune Rural police as a procedure after any accident that involves fatalities.

Ramanand said during the press meeting, “The CID is constantly coordinating with AAIB. Once the AAIB probe concludes, its findings will be considered in our inquiry into the accidental death case. We have collected relevant evidence, and the process is ongoing. Considering the seriousness of the probe, the Maharashtra Government has initiated communication to transfer the probe into the accidental death case to the CBI.”

“If the probe finds that there was a conspiracy of sabotage, or criminal negligence or illegal omission of any kind, the CID may register an offence under relevant legal provisions and undertake prosecution in the court after completing the remaining probe,” added Ramanand

Officials also clarified that the CID is not conducting the probe into the causes of the crash, which is solely the domain of AAIB, but a procedural investigation into the deaths. They said the CID will prepare a complete report of the facts known, and the AAIB’s findings will be included in the police report.