Sunetra Pawar Demands CBI Probe into Ajit Pawar Plane Crash, Meets CM Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday and demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the January 28 plane crash that killed her husband and then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The plane crash took place in Baramati, when a Learjet 45 aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar and four others, was attempting to land amid dense fog, killing all five.

Sunetra Pawar submitted a representation to Chief Minister Fadnavis calling for a CBI probe into her husband’s death, joining the ranks of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had earlier questioned the slow pace of the probe.

Rohit Pawar Questions Probe Delay

On Tuesday, Rohit Pawar questioned whether the delay was meant to protect private interests. Marking 20 days since the tragedy, Rohit Pawar claimed that the investigation has failed to gain momentum, leaving the public in doubt over the transparency of the process.

"The value of Ajit dada has been understood by ordinary citizens but it still doesn't seem to have dawned on the investigative agencies. 20 days have passed since the unfortunate accident yet the investigation hasn't gained any momentum. Is the delay solely to allow the VSR company to destroy evidence or does the company have someone's protection? This question has arisen in the minds of common citizens. The information emerging today about the black box being damaged makes it seem like the possibility I predicted five days ago is turning out to be true. Be that as it may, we will not rest until we get answers whether it was an accident or a murder in the case of dada!" he posted on X.

Rohit Pawar also claimed that the black box is damaged. There was no official response from the DGCA or AAIB regarding his claim. 

What Has AIIB Said

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Tuesday issued a detailed update on the investigation. 

The AAIB confirmed in a statement that the aircraft was equipped with two independent flight recorders - a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) manufactured by L3‑Communications and a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) manufactured by Honeywell. It mentioned that both these devices were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period during the accident and sustained major fire damage.

The DFDR has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB’s Flight Recorder Laboratory, while the CVR is undergoing a detailed technical examination, officials said, adding that assistance has been sought from the Accredited Representative of the State of Manufacture, for specialized support in retrieving the damaged data.

ALSO READ: 'Accident or Murder?': Rohit Pawar Questions 20-Day Delay in Ajit Pawar Crash Investigation