Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Sunday that the state government has suggested a CBI investigation into the plane crash that resulted in the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28. Fadnavis revealed this decision after discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, responding to calls for a transparent inquiry.
Fadnavis emphasized the government’s dedication to conducting a thorough and unbiased investigation into the crash near the Baramati airstrip to determine the precise cause of the tragedy. Various agencies, including the DGCA, Directorate of Air Safety, and state CID, are already conducting separate investigations in parallel.
The recovery of the aircraft’s flight data recorder, currently undergoing forensic analysis to reconstruct the crash sequence, was confirmed by Fadnavis. He urged for doubts and accusations to be addressed through official channels and emphasized the importance of trusting investigative bodies to complete their work.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to refrain from speculation and await the initial findings of the DGCA inquiry, expected to be released soon. Additionally, the state government has requested the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for a detailed investigation to identify any systemic or technical issues and enhance aviation safety measures.
Opposition leaders have demanded a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the crash, with NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar advocating for an independent probe due to the circumstances surrounding the incident. The next steps will be determined based on ongoing investigations and the Centre’s decision on the CBI probe recommendation.
