NEW DELHI: Ajit Pawar’s son and Nationalist Congress Party SP MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday questioned the pace of the investigation into the plane crash that killed former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, asking whether the 20-day delay was accidental or deliberate.Marking 20 days since the crash, the Karjat Jamkhed MLA alleged that the probe had failed to gain momentum and raised concerns about transparency.In a post on X, Rohit Pawar wrote, “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 he would hold a press conference in the next two days.Along with the post, Rohit Pawar claimed that the aircraft’s black box had been damaged. However, there has been no official response from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau regarding the claim.Aviation experts told ANI that black boxes are designed to withstand extreme conditions such as high temperatures, heavy impact and water immersion to ensure that stored data is not lost in the event of a crash.According to the ministry of civil aviation, a three-member team from the AAIB in Delhi and another three-member team from the DGCA Mumbai Regional Office reached the crash site on January 28. The Director General of the AAIB, G V G Yugandhar, also visited the site the same day.The ministry said the investigation is progressing expeditiously and confirmed that the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered. It added that the probe has been initiated in accordance with Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025.Nearly three weeks after the crash, there has been no public update from the DGCA or AAIB, and no preliminary report has been released so far. Rohit Pawar said a preliminary report was expected by now as the investigation continues.
