Pune

Jay Pawar, son of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Sunday shared a video clip on social media alleging serious safety lapses by the owner of VSR Ventures and called for his immediate arrest.

In the post, Jay Pawar claimed the footage shows Rohit Singh, the owner of VSR Ventures, allegedly asleep in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight. Calling the act “deeply alarming,” he demanded that all aircraft operated by the company be grounded until the investigation into his father’s fatal plane crash is completed.

VSR Ventures had operated the Learjet 45 aircraft that crashed on January 28 at Baramati in Pune district, killing Ajit Pawar and four others on board.

“We lost our father, and this pain will stay with us forever,” Jay Pawar wrote. “Seeing the owner of the company allegedly sleeping in the pilot’s seat while the aircraft is airborne is shocking and unacceptable. This level of negligence endangers lives.”

He urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to initiate immediate and stringent action, including grounding the entire VSR Ventures fleet and arresting Rohit Singh pending the outcome of the probe.

Jay Pawar also expressed dissatisfaction with the preliminary findings released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The report noted that visibility at the time of the crash was below prescribed limits and highlighted issues such as faded runway markings and loose gravel on the runway surface at Baramati.

“I am deeply disappointed that the preliminary report lacks detail,” he said. “The people of Maharashtra and the bereaved families deserve full transparency and clear answers about what led to the crash.”

The younger son of the late NCP leader further argued that action should not be limited to a few aircraft. Pointing out that the DGCA had already grounded some planes due to procedural gaps, he said similar deficiencies could exist across the entire fleet.

“If serious violations of rules and standard operating procedures are found, then decisive action must be taken against all aircraft, not selectively,” he said, adding that passenger safety must remain the regulator’s highest priority.

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Jay Pawar concluded by appealing to authorities to consider suspending VSR Ventures’ operations altogether until all safety concerns are comprehensively addressed.