Pednekar questions Maharashtra govt over Baramati plane crash

Story by ANI | Posted by Ashhar Alam | Date 25-03-2026

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar

Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday expressed surprise over the Maharashtra government's failure to register a case regarding the Baramati plane crash that killed former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

She highlighted that while the Karnataka police have already acted on a complaint, the lack of a similar criminal investigation in Maharashtra remains a cause for concern among the public.

"Ajit Pawar was working as Deputy Chief Minister in the Maharashtra government. When the news came in the morning, it was very heartbreaking. Rohit Pawar, a family member of Ajit Pawar, has been saying from the first day that this is a conspiracy. Speak up against the airline company. No one in the Maharashtra state government wants to discuss it. An investigation should be done," Pednekar, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in BMC and former Mumbai Mayor, told ANI.

"The Karnataka government has registered the FIR. The Maharashtra government should think about this. Even after a family member has spoken, no FIR has been filed, which is surprising to people," she added.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who is the nephew of late Ajit Pawar, informed about the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) filing an FIR in this case.

"There was no other option. Ajit Pawar has been doing social and political work in this state for the last forty years, and he has had a very close relationship with the people there. After his accident or whatever conspiracy occurred, he passed away, so it's crucial to file an FIR to properly investigate the case from a criminal angle, and everyone has the right," Pawar told ANI.

"When we went to Delhi, we met Rahul Gandhi and discussed the matter with him. He said, 'Go to any state where justice is available.' He didn't name any state. So, we went to Karnataka, and an FIR was filed. This FIR came to the DG of Maharashtra through their DG. We'll have to see what this government does about this. The FIR will have to be accepted or else people will find out straight away that something is fishy," he added.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging a "time-bound," "transparent," and "comprehensive" investigation into the plane crash that claimed the life of Ajit Pawar, taking forward a request by Rohit Pawar.

In his letter, CM Fadnavis referenced Rohit Pawar's concerns regarding the safety record of aircraft operator M/s VSR Ventures, flight crew deployment and duty norms, aircraft maintenance and airworthiness, discrepancies in flight data and records, operational decisions during landing, and the adequacy of regulatory oversight.

"In connection with the aircraft accident near Baramati on 28th January, 2026, in which Late Shri Ajit Dada Pawar, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and four other persons were travelling and tragically lost their lives, a number of concerns have been raised by public representatives regarding the circumstances leading to the incident," the letter said.

Rohit Pawar has repeatedly alleged a potential conspiracy behind the accident involving the plane carrying Ajit Pawar, claiming that a "big power" is shielding VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, the aircraft operator.

On March 12, Pawar met LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, reiterating the demand for a fair investigation into the Ajit Pawar plane crash case.

Ajit Pawar died on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) carrying him crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft went down near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board. Among the deceased were Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant, and two pilots. He was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.