Mumbai: Jay Ajit Pawar has strongly criticised the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the plane crash in which his father, former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar, died, calling the probe “incomplete and superficial”. He demanded a wider investigation and the immediate arrest of the airline’s owner. The appeal follows the release of a viral video allegedly showing Rohit Singh, the owner of VSR Ventures, asleep in the cockpit’s primary pilot seat during a flight.
Jay Pawar, in his post on social media (Instagram), expressed profound grief and frustration over the current state of the investigation.
“I have read the preliminary report investigated by the AAIB. It causes me immense pain and sorrow to see that this report has not been prepared thoroughly or in-depth. The people of Maharashtra, and all the families who lost their loved ones in this accident, deserve transparent answers and the truth — not just formal information.”
His outcry centres on a video circulating on social media, which appears to show the company’s owner engaging in life-threatening negligence.
“In the video, VSR owner Rohit Singh is seen sleeping in the main pilot’s seat during flight,” he said.
He further added, “Such negligence cannot exist while in the sky. This is extremely serious and shocking. I have lost my father… this pain will stay with me for a lifetime.” He has demanded that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take immediate intervention, demanding that all VSR Ventures aircraft be grounded until a full investigation is completed.
He further demanded the immediate arrest of Rohit Singh, stringent legal action against him and a transparent probe to ensure the safety of all passengers. “This is a son’s desperate plea,” he noted. “For my father, and for the safety of every passenger,” he concluded in his post.
Earlier, the AAIB in its preliminary report released on Saturday on the crash of a Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) that killed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that the aircraft attempted to land in visibility of 3,000 meters, which is well below the 5,000-metre minimum required for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at that airfield. The Baramati airfield lacked critical navigational aids. The AAIB noted that runway markings were faded (last recarpeted in 2016) and essential windsocks were missing on the landing side (Runway 11).
According to AAIB, the ATC tower was being manned by a ground instructor from a local flight school rather than a certified controller. CCTV footage showed the aircraft banking right and hitting trees before impacting the ground at a lower elevation than the runway.
(IANS)
