Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday and reiterated the demand for a fair investigation into the plane crash that claimed the life of senior leader Ajit Pawar earlier this year.
According to Rohit Pawar, the meeting focused on concerns regarding the investigation into the incident and the absence of a First Information Report (FIR) in the case so far.
Rohit Pawar shares documents and details of crash case
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rohit Pawar said he presented detailed documents and files related to the incident to Rahul Gandhi during the discussion.
He said senior Congress leaders, including K. C. Venugopal, were also present during the meeting.
“I shared all the relevant information I had in the files. Rahul ji carefully went through the details and tried to understand the matter thoroughly. He showed a good understanding of aviation-related issues,” Rohit Pawar said.
लोकसभेतील प्रभावी विरोधी पक्षनेते माननीय राहुल जी गांधी यांची दिल्लीत भेट घेऊन अजितदादांच्या संशयास्पद विमान अपघातासंदर्भात त्यांच्याशी अर्ध्या तासाहून अधिक विस्तृत चर्चा केली.
तसंच या अपघाताबाबत वेगवेगळ्या स्त्रोतांकडून आम्ही अत्यंत मेहनतीने जमा केलेली संपूर्ण माहिती त्यांना… pic.twitter.com/iWQarTj32W
— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) March 12, 2026
He added that Gandhi expressed concern after learning that no FIR had been registered in Maharashtra in connection with the crash.
Rahul Gandhi expresses concern over absence of FIR
Rohit Pawar said Gandhi was surprised that an FIR had not been filed despite the seriousness of the incident.
“In a democracy, everyone has the right to file an FIR. If such a senior leader is involved in the opposition and still an FIR is not being registered, it raises serious concerns,” he said, quoting Gandhi’s reaction after reviewing the details.
According to the NCP (SP) MLA, Gandhi assured that he would support further follow-up action related to the case.
Questions raised over aviation regulatory oversight
Rohit Pawar also said the discussion touched upon alleged links involving aviation operator VSR, and raised questions regarding regulatory oversight by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
He questioned how a fair investigation could take place if individuals connected to the case were linked to institutions responsible for conducting the probe.
“He agreed that such a situation is wrong and said he will examine what steps can be taken next,” Rohit Pawar said.
Rohit Pawar thanks Rahul Gandhi for support
Later, in a post on social media platform X, Rohit Pawar expressed gratitude to Rahul Gandhi for supporting the Pawar family and people of Maharashtra in their demand for justice.
He said Gandhi’s support has given “strength, hope and courage” to those seeking accountability in the matter.
Plane crash near Baramati claimed five lives
The controversy relates to a plane crash on January 28 involving a Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) that was carrying Ajit Pawar from Mumbai to Baramati in Pune district.
The aircraft crash-landed near the runway while attempting to land at Baramati Airport, killing all five people on board.
Those who died included Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation constituted a multi-disciplinary audit team, which reported several non-compliances in operational procedures related to airworthiness, flight safety and flight operations.
The regulator subsequently ordered a special safety audit of VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, the aircraft operator involved in the incident.
(With inputs from Agencies)