Mumbai: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday attacked aviation regulator DGCA, claiming that it had earlier attempted to give aviation company VSR Ventures a “clean chit”, but later admitted that the firm had flouted safety norms.
VSR Ventures Private Limited was the company that operated the ill-fated Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) plane which crashed near the Baramati airstrip in Pune district on January 28, killing Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
Speaking to reporters on the Vidhan Bhavan premises here, Pawar said the report issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at 1.36 pm on January 28 pm had stated that during the last regulatory audit conducted in February 2025, no “Level-I findings” were reported against VSR Ventures.
“When Ajit Pawar’s body was taken to the hospital, the DGCA issued the report. It was the first attempt to issue a clean chit to VSR,” he alleged.
Questioning the regulator’s role, Pawar asked, “Who issued the airworthiness certificates? Who looks into aircraft maintenance? Who will take care of air safety? All responsibilities lie with the DGCA. If VSR is at fault, then the DGCA is also at fault.”
According to Pawar, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu had on January 28 said that there were no safety concerns with the Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures and that all approvals had been granted after a thorough assessment by the DGCA.