Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar accused Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of attempting to protect “VSR Company,” the aircraft operator involved in the fatal crash of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28. Rohit Pawar highlighted inconsistencies in the investigative timeline and reports issued by the aviation regulator, criticizing premature statements clearing the company and pilot before the investigation concluded.
He pointed out that while Ajit Pawar’s post-mortem was ongoing, the DGCA released a report stating no safety deficiencies were found during an audit of VSR Company in February. Rohit Pawar expressed dissatisfaction with the subsequent DGCA report that acknowledged lapses but believed it was insufficient in holding the company accountable for the crash. He emphasized the need for accountability and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene in the matter.
Rohit Pawar announced plans for a state-wide legal action against the DGCA and called on citizens to file FIRs in their respective regions to prevent suppression of the issue. He credited public pressure and media scrutiny for forcing the DGCA to recognize the technical flaws initially overlooked in the investigation.
