Is VSR Ventures owner trying to blame pilot for Ajit Pawar's plane crash? Rohit Pawar

Pune: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has questioned whether VSR Ventures owner V K Singh was attempting to blame the Learjet aircraft pilot for the January tragedy that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other people.

According to a CID officer, Singh was questioned and his testimony was recorded by the Crime Investigation Department last week, but no specifics were disclosed.

Regarding the specifics of Singh's interrogation, the CID has not released a statement.

A Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Ajit Pawar and four others.

Citing reports in a section of media about a submission purportedly made by Singh to CID, Rohit Pawar in a post on X on Monday said, "What exactly was recorded in the black box has still not been revealed. If that is the case, how did VSR company owner V K Singh come to know within a short time of the crash that it was the pilot's fault?"

"If this gentleman is declaring that the pilot was at fault and washing his hands of the matter, it appears as though he is trying to shift the blame onto someone else while keeping himself out of it," he added.

Until authorities release concrete and credible information about the plane crash, people should not believe any discussions or baseless claims, the NCP (SP) MLA said.

"The CID has said that the investigation into Ajit Dada's plane crash is still underway. It is even difficult to talk about the credibility of the recent preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)," he stated.

At times, reports say the black box of the plane was burnt, while at other times it is claimed that the data has been recovered, the legislator pointed out.

"Meanwhile, the investigating agencies are maintaining complete silence on the matter," he added.

(With PTI inputs)