MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar accused VK Singh, the director ofDelhi-based air charter company VSR Ventures, of bribing a few DGCAofficials to edit data of the black box recovered from the ill-fatedaircraft that crashed in Baramati airstrip on January 28 killing lateDeputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Tweeting from his official X account on Friday, Rohit Pawar stated,“It is being heard that VK Singh, of VSR Ventures and an expert intampering data, is reportedly trying to edit the flight data recorder(FDR) data in the black-box component which contains all technicalaircraft data. Any Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) orAircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) personnel currentlyassisting or planning to assist in such activity should note that thetampering will be detected during the forensic audit. Once a committeeis formed, the forensic audit will be conducted and hence nobodyshould dare tamper with the data. It should also be noted that thoughsome officers are compromised, many other DGCA officials remainupright and honest”.
Significantly, Rohit Pawar met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhirecently and Gandhi tweeted from his official X account, “Shri RohitPawar met me today and submitted a letter raising serious concernsabout the investigation into the Baramati aircraft crash that claimedthe life of Shri Ajit Pawar ji and others. Basic principles of lawappear not to have been followed, and no FIR has been registereddespite the seriousness of the matter. This incident warrants a fair,transparent, and impartial investigation”.
Rohit Pawar, speaking to media persons later, stated that Rahul Gandhihad assured him that he would do whatever he can about the late AjitPawar’s crash. He said that there seems to be a conspiracy by those inpower to save certain influential people, but avoided answering adirect question about Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Praful Patel’s role.
In a related development, Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLA Amol Mitkari toldmedia persons outside the Vidhan Bhavan here on Friday that VK Singh,the owner of the Delhi-based air charter company VSR Ventures, whoseaircraft crashed on January 28, killing late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar hastaken a contract from the underworld to murder VIPs and politicians inMaharashtra. “I hereby appeal to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra,
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde as well as other politicians from Maharashtrato even travel by road or by railways, but stop using aircraftoperated by VSR Ventures. Our question is who is the officer who wasresponsible for allotting that ill-fated aircraft to Ajit Pawar? It isdangerous to fly on aircraft operated by VSR Ventures,” Ajit Pawar-ledNCP MLA Amol Mitkari said.
“After Jai Pawar got to know that his mother Deputy CM Sunetra Pawarhad travelled to Nashik recently on an aircraft operated by VSRVentures, he instructed officials that henceforth such a thing mustnever happen. I don’t think anybody from our party will use aircraftoperated by VSR Ventures. The people of Maharashtra are asking usquestions about the late Ajit Pawar’s air crash and we will have toanswer them. Jai Pawar has taken the position that there must be a CBIprobe so that the people of Maharashtra know what really happened tolate Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. After the final report of the DGCA (AAIB)report, it is certain that Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar will clarify herposition,” Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLA Amol Mitkari said.
“Jai Pawar (Ajit Pawar’s younger son) is now extremely cautious whiletravelling. Jai Pawar does not even use elevators, especially if hefeels they vibrate or might get stuck mid-way because it is quitelikely that VSR Ventures could deploy some paid soldiers. Like JaiPawar, all MLAs in Maharashtra ought to be cautious,” Mitkari said.