Top Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has openly expressed doubts about the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) 22-page preliminary report on the January 28 air crash which killed the late Ajit Pawar.
When asked to comment on the 22-page AAIB report, which was released on Saturday (February 28), Chhagan Bhujbal told media persons in Nashik on Tuesday,
When we went there (Baramati airstrip, where the late Ajit Pawar’s aircraft crashed), nobody told us that the aircraft had hit any tree. Hundreds of people had gathered at the airport to welcome Ajit Dada, but nobody said that his aircraft hit a tree. I am also surprised which tree the aircraft hit.
I never met even a single person there who said that the plane hit a tree. If the aircraft had hit any tree, then the tree would have been found damaged. The aircraft tilted in the air and then crashed, which is also visible in the CCTV footage.
Internal Party Dispute Over the Report
Significantly, Bhujbal made the statement only a day after his party (Ajit Pawar-led NCP) MLA Amol Mitkari dismissed the AAIB’s preliminary report on the January 28 air crash, which killed the late Ajit Pawar, as “a document written under the influence of alcohol or ganja (marijuana)”. Thereafter, Amol Mitkari’s party leader Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Maharashtra Vice President Mohan Bhargad had accused Mitkari of “putting his own party in trouble and embarrassing it” by constantly raising the issue of Ajit Pawar’s air crash.“Mitkari’s stance has created the impression that only Mitkari is demanding an investigation into Ajit Pawar’s air crash, and not our party or its leaders.
This has spread misunderstanding. Our senior party leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel are being blamed by citizens on social media. The opposition has taken advantage of this. Amol Mitkari has put our party (Ajit Pawar-led NCP) in trouble,” Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Maharashtra Vice President Mohan Bhargad accused MLA Amol Mitkari.
Controversy Over Viral Video Released by Jai Pawar
Commenting on the viral video, which the late Ajit Pawar’s younger son Jai Pawar released on his social media account, Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said, “That video is not from the aircraft which flew Ajit Dada, because if the owner (of air charter company VSR Ventures Rohit Singh) was on it, he would have been killed. But whatever happened was wrong, because only the pilot is supposed to sit in that seat. If the owner was sleeping on it, then it is a case of sheer negligence”.
Earlier on Monday, the late Ajit Pawar’s younger son, Jai Pawar, posted on social media, “I have read the preliminary report investigated by the AAIB. I am deeply saddened and pained to see that this report has not been prepared thoroughly”.
Jai Pawar had also posted a video, which supposedly showed VSR Ventures owner Rohit Singh dozing off to sleep in the pilot’s seat on an aircraft in mid-flight. “We have lost my father. This pain will be with us for the rest of our lives. In this video, VSR owner Rohit Singh is seen sleeping in the chief pilot’s seat during the flight. There can be no such negligence while in the sky.
This is very serious and shocking. I strongly demand that the DGCA take immediate and strict action in this case. All VSR aircraft should be grounded immediately until a complete investigation is conducted and Rohit Singh should be arrested immediately and strict legal action should be taken. This is a cry of a child for my father and for the safety of every passenger,” Jai Pawar posted on social media, along with the video, which went viral.
Government Response and Future Investigative Steps
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol took note of the video released by the late Ajit Pawar’s younger son Jai Pawar which supposedly shows the owner of VSR Ventures Rohit Singh dozing off in the pilot’s seat in mid-flight and said, “I have watched the video shared by Jai Pawar. It will be taken into consideration”.
The political context surrounding the BJP’s governance and campaign strategies has also been widely debated, particularly during high-profile events such as Modi’s Tamil Nadu Visit: Election Stunt Disguised as Development
The government has begun to respond to the mounting pressure from the Pawar family and the public. BJP leader and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, has officially acknowledged the viral video shared by Jai Pawar, stating that the evidence will be “taken into consideration” during the ongoing investigation.
The DGCA has already initiated a crackdown on VSR Ventures, grounding their Learjet fleet pending a comprehensive safety audit.
The next steps in the investigation are expected to include:
- A forensic analysis of the CCTV footage mentioned by Bhujbal to determine the aircraft’s attitude before impact.
- An inquiry into the meteorological facilities (or lack thereof) at the Baramati airstrip.
- A formal investigation into the cockpit conduct of VSR Ventures personnel based on the viral evidence.
Conclusion
The investigation into the death of Ajit Pawar remains a highly sensitive issue that blends technical aviation challenges with intense political scrutiny. The discrepancies in the AAIB report, combined with the shocking evidence of negligence by the aircraft operator, necessitate a more transparent and exhaustive inquiry. Until the contradictions between the official “tree strike” theory and the eyewitness accounts are resolved, and the claims of operational negligence are fully addressed, the report will likely continue to be viewed with skepticism by both the family and the public.
Final accountability will depend on the DGCA’s willingness to look beyond the preliminary findings and investigate the broader systemic failures that led to this tragedy.
