No sabotage in Ajit Pawar plane crash: Fadnavis in Assembly

Two days after NCP (SP) MLA and Ajit’s nephew Rohit filed a Zero FIR in neighbouring Karnataka seeking an investigation, Fadnavis made a detailed statement in the Maharashtra assembly, replying to the various allegations and doubts raised. The CM also indicated that the Centre could hand over the investigation to the CBI

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday ruled out any foul play in the January 28 plane crash at Baramati Airport that killed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Pune ....... Ajit Pawar, NCP chief and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, died in a tragic plane crash this morning while he was flying from Mumbai to Baramati. Four others, including pilots and Pawar's security personnel, have also died in the crash. The small aircraft, which took off from Mumbai around 8.10 am, crashed near Baramati airport during a landing attempt half an hour later In Pune/ India. HT Photo

Two days after NCP (SP) MLA and Ajit’s nephew Rohit filed a Zero FIR in neighbouring Karnataka seeking an investigation, Fadnavis made a detailed statement in the Maharashtra assembly, replying to the various allegations and doubts raised, including the consumption of alcohol by the pilot, a last-minute change in the pilot roster by the aircraft management company VSR Ventures, and the likelihood of explosives and extra cans of fuel being on board. The CM also indicated that the Centre could hand over the investigation to the CBI.

Rohit, who has been publicly expressing unhappiness about the probe, alleged foul play—he said that the pilot Sumit Kapoor had an alcohol habit, that he was suspiciously assigned at the eleventh hour and that the aircraft company had a poor record of aircraft maintenance. His attempts to file an FIR at Mumbai and Baramati were rejected, and on Tuesday, he announced in the assembly that he had filed a zero FIR (non-jurisdictional) at Bengaluru, and the Karnataka police had transferred the case to the Maharashtra police for investigation.

Fadnavis objected to this, saying the Karnataka police had no right to accept the zero FIR. Replying to Rohit’s allegations, he said that pilots Sumit Kapoor and Shambhavi Pathak had undergone breathalyser tests an hour before the plane took off, and these were negative. He also denied that the pilot had been changed at the eleventh hour.

“On January 27 at 9.11 pm, Captain Sahil Madan and Captain Yash were assigned to operate the aircraft,” he said. “At 10.42 pm, the company’s operations team assigned Captain Rahul Oberoi and Dilip Singh, but Oberoi said he had an upset stomach and wanted another sector of Latur. Later, Kapoor and Pathak were assigned to fly and the new schedule roster was sent at around 11 pm.”

The CM added that the pilots had rested well before operating the aircraft—Kapoor for 36 hours and Pathak for nine days. He admitted that Kapoor’s pilot licence was suspended in 2010 and 2017 as his breathalyser test was positive, and said that after this, he underwent a refresher course for Learjet in the US.

Fadnavis said that the viscera of both the pilots had been analysed, and it was established that they had not consumed drugs or alcohol. Likewise, the blood of all the deceased showed no poisonous substances, the wreckage of the aircraft showed no trace of explosives and there were no extra cans of fuel on board as witnesses and the staff of Ajit Pawar and VSR Ventures said when they were questioned. “Also, the aircraft was manufactured in 2010 and its certificate of airworthiness had been examined by the DGCA,” he added.

Fadnavis said the Centre’s investigation was being conducted as per the rules. “A preliminary report was issued by AAIB, and its final report will be taken in the police investigation,” he said. “An AAIB director-general visited the accident spot and is investigating. A DGCA team is also probing the matter, and we are taking help from the International Civil Aviation Organisation and National Transportation Safety board in the US as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. The Flight Data Recorder has been downloaded and help has been taken from NTSB for downloading data.”

The CM said that while Rohit might be concerned about the accident, he needed to refrain from making out that no one else was bothered. “All of us want a proper probe into the incident,” he said. “If there is foul play, we will find it and won’t spare anyone.”