Forgery row rocks late Ajit Pawar's ministry

Even as the alleged conspiracy behind Maharashtra's former deputy chief minister and NCP (AP) chief Ajit 'Dada' Pawar’s fatal 28 January plane crash remains unresolved, another controversy has surfaced — 75 files in his ministry were allegedly approved using forged digital signatures after his death.

The revelation has cast a shadow over the functioning of the entire ministry, raising serious questions about possible tampering with official documents following Pawar’s demise. After sharp objections from the Opposition, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has stayed the 75 approvals that were cleared posthumously in Pawar’s name.

The files pertain to the minority development department, which was under Ajit Dada’s charge. He and four others were killed in a plane crash in Baramati at 8.46 am on 28 January. The state government declared three days of mourning after the tragedy.

However, in the days that followed, the minority development department reportedly issued minority status certificates to 75 schools run by 20 institutions. What has raised eyebrows is that these files carried Ajit Dada’s digital signature — allegedly affixed after his death.

Former departmental minister Manikrao Kokate had, on 12 October 2025, imposed a ban on issuing minority status certificates. After Kokate stepped down, the department was assigned to Ajit Pawar. It is now alleged that ministry officials and staff colluded to clear the files within four days, using forged digital signatures in Pawar’s name.

Adding to the controversy, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA and Ajit Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar had earlier alleged a conspiracy in the plane crash. He had also claimed that a senior leader from eastern Vidarbha had exerted pressure on Ajit Pawar to sign a particular file a day before the crash.

Reacting to the latest revelations, Rohit Pawar wrote on X that the developments rendered everything “meaningless”, questioning whether human life holds any value and whether there remains even “a shred of sensitivity or humanity”.

State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal also raised questions, asking under whose instructions such a major irregularity was carried out — particularly on a declared state holiday. He said chief minister Fadnavis must be held accountable and demanded a thorough investigation, along with strict punishment for those responsible.

Meanwhile, Pyare Khan, chairman of the State Minorities Commission, alleged that the process of granting minority status had turned into a money-making racket. He has called for an inquiry into as many as 8,500 schools across the state to examine how minority certificates were issued.

The controversy has intensified political tensions in Maharashtra, with the Opposition alleging administrative breakdown and possible collusion within the department, even as the government faces mounting pressure to establish accountability.