Rohit Pawar and Ajit Pawar (Images/Agencies)
NEW DELHI: NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Saturday said that he will present a detailed presentation on February 10 on the air crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. He said that questions and doubts persist over the circumstances of the incident, which will be addressed during the briefing in Mumbai.Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in the Zilla Parishad elections in Baramati, Rohit Pawar said that several questions remained unanswered about how and why the crash occurred. He added that the forthcoming presentation would address these concerns in detail.“Everyone has questions and doubts in their minds. Why the crash happened and how it might have happened—these issues will be raised on February 10,” he said.The Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Maharashtra were held on Saturday for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis. The polls had earlier been postponed following Ajit Pawar’s death in the air crash on January 28.Ajit Pawar was killed along with four others when a chartered Learjet aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the table-top airstrip in Baramati, Pune district. Those killed included his personal security officer, the pilot, co-pilot and a flight attendant. Rohit Pawar said that the late leader had wished for unity between the rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and that efforts toward a merger would continue. The NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar and the NCP have jointly contested the Zilla Parishad elections, with candidates fighting on the latter’s ‘clock’ symbol.“Ajit Dada sincerely wished that everyone should come together as one family. Everyone has come together today. Dada had made efforts, and we will continue to make efforts in the same manner. The family is still united,” Rohit Pawar said.Earlier, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that Ajit Pawar’s death could be the result of a political conspiracy and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe.Citing reports that Pawar was considering leaving the BJP and rejoining the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar, Banerjee said, “I demand a proper investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court. We have trust only in the Supreme Court. All other agencies have been completely compromised.”She described Pawar’s death as a major loss and said he was expected to return to the original faction of his party.The Opposition MLA, who represents the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency in Ahilyanagar district, also said that he would explain the reasons and intent behind the proposed party merger on February 12.“I will explain why the merger was supposed to happen and for what purpose. Whether Ajit Dada’s intention was political or emotional, I will clarify this on February 12,” he said.On the investigation into the crash, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were making rapid progress.Providing an update, Mohol said the aircraft’s black box had been recovered and was being analysed.“The black box has been recovered, and the AAIB team and the DGCA are working on it. The data will be downloaded, followed by analysis and an inquiry. A preliminary report will be released after that,” Mohol said.He added that investigation teams from the AAIB and the DGCA’s Mumbai Regional Office reached the crash site on the day of the incident and that the AAIB Director General personally oversaw the initial probe.The investigation is being conducted under Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025, to determine the sequence of events during the aircraft’s attempted landing amid reported poor visibility.Authorities have cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, stating that the findings will be based on technical analysis of the black box data.
