Nationalist Congress Party legislator Rohit Pawar has urged the immediate suspension of Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu and top DGCA officials pending the investigation into the recent plane crash that claimed the life of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Pawar, addressing a press conference, alleged a possible collusion between the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, and VSR Ventures, the aircraft’s owner. He emphasized the need to reclassify the case as “culpable homicide” rather than an accident.
Pawar also demanded the filing of a formal FIR against the company’s owners and the technical staff responsible for certifying the aircraft’s airworthiness. He pressed for a CBI inquiry, citing the involvement of a prominent public figure and multiple jurisdictions beyond the state CID’s capabilities. Leaders from Ajit Pawar’s faction had previously called for a CBI probe due to safety concerns.
In addition, Rohit Pawar called for the immediate grounding of all aircraft operated by VSR Ventures nationwide, citing a history of safety breaches and alleged cover-ups from a previous crash involving the same company. He criticized reports of a damaged flight recorder, dismissing it as an attempt to destroy crucial evidence.
