Mumbai, March 10 – The NCP delegation, comprising a Minister and MLAs, submitted a memorandum to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, demanding an expedited investigation into the tragic death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28 in Baramati.
The delegation, including Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare, legislators Chetan Tupe, Sulabha Khodke, Sana Malik, Saroj Ahire, Anil Patil, and Shekhar Nikam, urged the state government to ensure that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conclude their ongoing investigations and release a comprehensive final report as soon as possible.
According to a statement released by the NCP, the party leadership expressed concerns over the pace of the current investigation.
The memorandum highlights the need for transparency and technical clarity regarding the "plane crash" that led to the untimely death of the late NCP leader.
"The state and the nation deserve to know the truth behind this tragedy. We have requested the Chief Minister to follow up with the central agencies so that the final report is made public without further delay," a senior NCP leader said.
This demand stems from a shocking incident that occurred months ago, when a private aircraft carrying the veteran NCP leader crashed under mysterious circumstances.
Due to the high-profile nature of the victim, the state government immediately handed the case over to the CID, while the Central government ordered a parallel CBI inquiry to rule out any foul play or mechanical sabotage.
However, the delay in the final report has led to various speculations within political circles.
The NCP, now seeking to provide closure to its cadres and the Pawar family, is mounting pressure on the ruling Maharashtra administration to clear the air.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has assured the NCP delegation that the state government is committed to a fair and thorough investigation.
He noted that while the technical nature of aviation probes takes time, he would personally look into the status of the files with the investigating bureaus.
Earlier, NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar, on Monday, made a series of allegations regarding an aviation accident involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
He has called for a deeper investigation into whether the incident was a genuine accident or a deliberate attempt on the late NCP leader's life.
According to Rohit Pawar, visibility on the day of the accident was extremely poor, measuring only 3,000 metres.
He claimed that the aircraft's pilot, Captain Kapoor, had contacted the owner of VSR Ventures, V.K. Singh, whose aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar crashed in Baramati on January 28, to report that the takeoff was impossible due to weather conditions.
"Captain Kapoor explicitly told V.K. Singh that visibility was poor and they could not take off. However, Singh allegedly ordered him to proceed, saying, 'You take off, I will handle the rest later'," Rohit Pawar claimed.
He asserted that the Call Detail Records of V.K. Singh would provide the necessary evidence of this conversation.
Highlighting the pilot's state of mind, Rohit Pawar noted that medical reports confirmed Captain Kapoor had no traces of drugs, alcohol, or toxins in his system.
"If the pilot was sober and professional, why did he take such a risk? We need to dig deeper into the pressure he was under. Why is V.K. Singh being shielded?" he asked.