NCP MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday demanded the registration of an FIR in connection with the January 28 plane crash in Baramati that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, alleging negligence and suggesting that influential individuals may be preventing police action. However, police declined to register a fresh case, stating that an investigation is already underway by the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), making a separate FIR unnecessary.
Rohit Pawar sought criminal proceedings against the aircraft operator VSR and officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, claiming lapses may have contributed to the fatal accident. He first approached the Marine Drive Police Station in Mumbai, where his complaint was not accepted. He later visited the Baramati Taluka Police Station and held detailed discussions with senior Pune Rural police officials, but authorities again refused to file an FIR, explaining that registering another case would result in parallel investigations since the CID had already taken over the probe. Pawar subsequently met senior CID officers in Pune to press his demand.
Speaking to the media, Pawar expressed concern over the refusal to register his complaint, arguing that the seriousness of the incident required criminal investigation into both the aircraft company and regulatory authorities. He said the police response had raised suspicions and alleged that “powerful hands” could be influencing the process, adding that the truth behind the crash must be fully uncovered.
Earlier, Sunetra Pawar had written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister seeking a transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Rohit Pawar also suggested that individuals connected to the Union government might have a role in a possible conspiracy, though no official findings have supported such claims so far.
CID officials maintained that the investigation is progressing and clarified that the case involving accidental deaths had already been transferred to the agency under relevant legal provisions due to its seriousness. According to officials, the probe is examining all possible angles, including sabotage, criminal negligence, and conspiracy. Multiple agencies are contributing to the investigation, and evidence collected so far will be supplemented by findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau once its report is completed.
Authorities added that discussions regarding a potential transfer of the case to the CBI have been communicated through official channels, while the ongoing inquiry continues to gather technical and forensic evidence related to the crash.
