NCP Spokesperson Voices Conspiracy Suspicion Over Ajit Pawar Learjet Crash, Admits No Evidence
Why It MattersPublic conspiracy claims and calls for a CBI probe, alongside questions about the charter operator and DGCA, put scrutiny on charter oversight while the AAIB and CID investigations remain unresolved.
NCP state spokesperson Umesh Patil said he suspects the January 28, 2026 plane crash that killed Maharashtra's former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others may have been a conspiracy rather than an accident, while acknowledging that he has no concrete evidence. He said that, in his personal assessment, the incident did not appear to be an ordinary accident. He had worked with Ajit Pawar and other party members for around 20 to 25 years, and said that experience raised doubts in his mind. He described his suspicion as a gut feeling.
Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to address rallies related to district council elections. He was aboard a Bombardier Learjet 45, registration VT-SSK, operated by Delhi-based charter company VSR Ventures. Five people were on board. The aircraft took off from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 8:10 am. Poor visibility affected the landing at Baramati. The first landing attempt was unsuccessful; during the second, the aircraft crashed near the runway threshold and caught fire. All five people aboard died.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the technical aspects of the accident, and Maharashtra CID is conducting a separate investigation. Ajit Pawar's son, Jay Pawar, had earlier met CID officials to seek information on the progress of the probe. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar and others have raised doubts about the circumstances and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, and questions have also been raised about the charter operator and aviation regulator DGCA. These demands and allegations do not establish that the crash was deliberate.
