3 min readMumbaiMar 5, 2026 04:09 AM ISTRohit PawarOPPOSITION NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday targeted VSR Ventures, the company that owned the aircraft involved in the Baramati plane crash which killed former Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, claiming that attempts were being made to shield the firm through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.Addressing a press conference, Pawar dismissed the 22-page preliminary report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the crash as a “paperwork exercise” aimed at suppressing facts and destroying evidence.He alleged that the case was linked to a Rs 868 crore financial irregularity involving VSR Ventures.Phone calls and email to VSR Ventures did not elicit any response. This is the fifth press conference held by Pawar seeking action against VSR.The AAIB report had cited low visibility at the time of landing, faded runway markings and loose gravel on the runway surface as contributing factors in the crash of VSR Ventures’ Learjet. However, Pawar questioned the findings, pointing to what he described as inconsistencies in the document.“The seriousness of the investigative agencies is evident from the fact that a report concerning the security of a Deputy CM-level leader incorrectly refers to Baramati as a district and misnames the Municipal Corporation,” he said. Pawar also claimed the report mentioned a “right bank” during landing when the aircraft had actually executed a ‘left bank,’ alleging this was not a technical error but a misrepresentation.He further disputed the report’s conclusion that the aircraft struck trees before crashing. “There are no trees at the spot mentioned, only a small bush which the aircraft did not even touch. The claim that it hit trees is incorrect,” he said.Story continues below this adRaising technical concerns, Pawar alleged “under-logging” of engine hours. “Official records projected 3,000 flying hours remaining, but the engine had already been used for over 8,000 hours. Was this aircraft knowingly assigned despite its exhausted capacity?” he asked. He also questioned claims that cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder information was unavailable due to thermal damage, alleging that the data was secure and being withheld.Pawar further accused VSR Ventures of financial impropriety, claiming that Rs 868 crore had been routed to the company through 27 shell firms based in Kolkata, 15–16 of which were shut shortly after the transactions. He alleged that the funds were suspected to be unaccounted money.The MLA also flagged the company’s alleged political links, claiming its owner had connections with leaders in Delhi, a BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh and a minister from the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh. He questioned why a Delhi-registered company had made high-value investments in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills area, allegedly at rates Rs 17 crore above market value.Citing a previous aviation incident, Pawar alleged that during then chief minister Eknath Shinde’s visit to Davos on January 20, 2023, an aircraft operated by the same company had entered Iranian and Iraqi airspace without overflight permission, prompting warnings from fighter jets and a route diversion from Bahrain to Zurich.Story continues below this adDrawing a comparison with the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Pawar said the Central Bureau of Investigation had taken over that case within two days, whereas nearly a month had passed since the Baramati crash without similar action.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Mumbai