Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu has responded to a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday, confirming that a formal investigation has been initiated.
In his reply, Naidu said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun probing the crash and has taken custody of the aircraft’s black box.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis received a condolence letter from Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu regarding the Baramati plane crash that claimed the life of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
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“As per the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules, the investigation has begun and will be conducted in a transparent and time-bound manner,” the Union Minister said.
In his letter, Fadnavis highlighted the gravity of the incident, noting that “a very senior leader like Ajit Pawar lost his life in the aircraft accident; four others also lost their lives.” He requested a detailed inquiry into the exact causes of the crash and urged the Centre to take immediate steps to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Responding to this, Naidu said all technical records, operational details and evidence from the accident site are being thoroughly examined.
“The Ministry has taken note of your request to prevent such incidents in the future, and appropriate measures will be implemented once the investigation report is received,” he said.
The Union Minister also underlined the need for coordination with the Maharashtra government during the inquiry.
“Cooperation from the Maharashtra government will be valuable for this inquiry, and assistance from the local administration will be required. The complete investigation report will also be shared with the state government,” Naidu said.
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was killed when a chartered aircraft crashed on Wednesday morning in Baramati.
Pawar was travelling to Baramati, the NCP’s stronghold, to attend a rally ahead of the Zila Parishad elections when the aircraft went down. All six people on board, including Pawar, were killed in the crash.
