Ajit Pawar plane crash: Preliminary report to be out on or before February 28, says civil aviation MoS

Civil aviation ministry reiterates DGCA timeline as NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleges irregularities, seeks minister’s resignation pending probe.

• Preliminary plane crash report due by February 28
• Ajit Pawar and four others died in Learjet 45 crash
• Investigation report will be made public, says minister

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The preliminary report on the plane crash in which NCP leader Ajit Pawar was killed will be out on or before February 28, Union minister of state for civil aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol said on Sunday.

Pawar and four others were killed on January 28 after their Learjet 45 crashed some distance away from Baramati airport.

Talking to reporters at an event here, Mohol said, "The preliminary report will be out before one month (from the day of the incident) on or before February 28." The incident has been the subject of intense speculation with NCP (SP) MLA and Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar holding several press conferences to flag what he claimed were irregularities connected to the firm that owned the aircraft and other technical anomalies. He has also raised doubts about foul play.

On Saturday, the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that Civil Aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu be asked to resign from the Union government till the inquiry into the crash is completed.

"Serious questions have been raised about the company VSR and its links with Rammohan Naidu's party (TDP). These links must be investigated by an independent and competent authority, preferably in collaboration with international agencies," Pawar said in the letter, a copy of which was marked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Mohol, however, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has already released a press statement in which the apex aviation body has clarified on everything related to the ongoing inquiry.

"The statement released from the agency has informed that the preliminary report will be released before February 28. Everything about the investigation is kept in front of all and the report will be made public. I do not want to comment on anybody's remarks," Mohol said.

On February 19, the civil aviation ministry had said a preliminary report will be made public within 30 days of the accident.