"Accident or murder?": Rohit Pawar questions 20-Day delay in Ajit Pawar crash investigation

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 17 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday slammed the slow pace of the probe into the plane crash that killed former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, questioning if the delay was intended to protect private interests. Marking 20 days since the tragedy, the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA alleged that the investigation has failed to gain momentum, leaving the public in doubt over the transparency of the process.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar ON X said, "The value of Ajit dada has been understood by ordinary citizens but it still doesn't seem to have dawned on the investigative agencies. 20 days have passed since the unfortunate accident yet the investigation hasn't gained any momentum. Is the delay solely to allow the VSR company to destroy evidence or does the company have someone's protection? This question has arisen in the minds of common citizens. The information emerging today about the black box being damaged makes it seem like the possibility I predicted five days ago is turning out to be true. Be that as it may, we will not rest until we get answers whether it was an accident or a murder in the case of dada!" He also said that he will conduct a press conference in the upcoming 2 days.
Along with the tweet, Rohit Pawar claimed that the black box is damaged. However, there is still no official response from the DGCA or AAIB regarding his claim. On Rohit Pawar's claim, ANI spoke with experts but according to them, the black box is designed to withstand extreme conditions such as high temperatures, impacts, and water immersion. This ensures that the stored data is not lost in the event of an accident.
In fact, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a team of 3 officers from the AAIB, Delhi, and another team of three officers from the DGCA Mumbai Regional Office reached the crash site on 28 January. The Director General of the AAIB, Shri G V G Yugandhar, also visited the site the same day. The investigation is progressing expeditiously, and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered. The Ministry also stated that the investigation has been initiated in accordance with Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025.
It has been almost 20 days since the crash, yet there is no update from the DGCA or AAIB. The investigation is underway, but a preliminary report was expected by now, Rohit Pawar stated. (ANI)