Ajit Pawar plane crash: NCP(SP) leader demands high-level probe into mishap

Mumbai: Adding a new dimension into last week’s fatal air crash involving Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar, Beed MP and NCP (SP) leader Bajrang Sonawane demanded a probe  and wondered whether there was a bomb blast on board the ill-fated aircraft. 

Sonawane called for a high-level probe into the air crash involving Ajit Pawar (66), who was one of the most experienced politicians of Maharashtra. 

Sonawane has been associated with Ajit Pawar since 1999, however, after the 2023 split, he remained with Sharad Pawar and contested the Lok Sabha polls from NCP (SP) winning the Beed seat. 

“Before hitting the ground there has been a  blast…how did it happened…whether it was a bomb blast or engine blast,” Sonawane told reporters. 

The CCTV footage from the time Ajit Pawar left his official bungalow in Mumbai till the time he reached the airport and boarded the flight should be examined as part of the probe, he demanded. 

“I have been associated with him since 1999. The entire Maharashtra and the country are grieving. This is a cruel twist of fate,” he said.