Wait For Aviation Body To Finish Ajit Pawar Crash Probe: Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said a crucial probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is underway into the plane crash that killed Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and urged that conclusions be drawn only after the investigation ends.

Fadnavis said the aircraft's black box had already been recovered and that investigations on all fronts had commenced.

The CM was talking to reporters here in response to a question about Ajit Pawar's nephew and MLA Rohit Pawar's claims and concerns regarding the plane crash.

Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the Learjet aircraft crashed near the Baramati airstrip in Pune district on January 28.

Describing the DGCA inquiry into the incident as "very important", Fadnavis stressed the need to wait for its findings.

Rohit Pawar on Tuesday raised several questions regarding the sequence of events leading up to the plane crash. He alleged that there was a reason to suspect sabotage in the tragic incident that killed his uncle Ajit Pawar, and demanded a comprehensive probe by multiple expert agencies.

Fadnavis said, "I have not personally seen what Rohit Pawar said. I am somewhat aware of it. I believe that if anyone has any doubts, they should be addressed. From this perspective, the investigative agencies available under Indian law have already begun the kind of investigation expected in such cases." The chief minister said he was the first to write to the Union aviation ministry seeking a detailed probe into the accident that claimed the lives of Pawar, the pilot, the co-pilot and two others.

"If we can learn from the errors or shortcomings in our civil aviation sector, we can fix them and make it safer for civilians and leaders as well," he said.

Fadnavis' cabinet colleague and Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat backed Rohit Pawar's demand for a probe.

"Several people have raised doubts about the accident. These doubts must be cleared. The government is trying to do it at its end. If new evidence surfaces everyday, then it is necessary to take cognisance of the same," he said.

"The way Rohit Pawar presented everything in his press conference leaves a chance for doubt (regarding the incident). He is demanding a high-level probe. It should be done either by the CBI or any special agency, but a probe must be done," the minister said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut raised several question marks over the plane crash incident and said there is scope of suspicion.

"Maharashtra should think about what Rohit Pawar has presented," he said.

"Was there a pre-planned conspiracy? Someone important from the Pawar family, who is a lawmaker, has raised this," he said.

Raut said Fadnavis should probe all angles related to Ajit Pawar's death as pointed out by Rohit Pawar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)