Baramati air crash: CID to probe ‘foul play’, accepts Rohit Pawar’s statement

Pune/Mumbai: The Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday said the focus of its probe into the Baramati plane crash that killed then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was to ascertain if sabotage or criminal negligence led to the tragedy.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who has been questioning the circumstance surrounding the incident and demanding an FIR against the company which operated the aircraft for alleged negligence, gave a statement to the CID which is investigating the January 28 crash.

The issue was also raised in the Maharashtra legislative council during the day, with the council chairman directing the state government to lay out the facts related to the air crash before the House.

Speaking at a press conference, Sunil Ramanand, Additional Director General of Police (CID), said the investigation was being conducted in a detailed and professional manner.

“The purpose of the CID probe is to determine whether there was any foul play in the plane crash. It will also examine whether there was any criminal negligence. Thirdly, the probe will ascertain whether any criminal act, including illegal omission, led to the crash,” he said.

Once the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) submits its report, the findings will be included in the CID investigation, the ADG said, adding that the CID has collected several pieces of evidence

If any criminal angle, including negligence or sabotage, is established, the CID will register a case, said Ramanand.

Rohit Pawar, who is Ajit Pawar’s nephew, visited the CID headquarters in Pune and met officials. He gave them a statement under section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), he told reporters later.

Under this section, an investigation officer can record the statement of any person “supposed to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case.”

Pawar said that after the Mumbai as well as Baramati police did not register a First Information Report, he met CID officials and sought registration of an FIR against VSR Ventures.

VSR Ventures operated the Learjet 45 aircraft which crashed on January 28 with Ajit Pawar and four others on board.

“Since the CID also did not register our FIR, I gave a statement under section 180 of the BNSS, and it has been accepted,” he said.

He expected that the CID would call him to record his statement as he possesses a lot of details about the case, but the probe agency did not call him, the NCP (SP) MLA said.