Ajit Pawar's son shares video alleging VSR Ventures owner slept in pilot’s seat; demands arrest

Jay Pawar, son of Maharashtra’s late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Sunday demanded the immediate arrest of VSR Ventures owner Rohit Singh after sharing a purported video that allegedly shows him dozing in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight.

VSR Ventures operated the Learjet 45 business jet (United States, introduced 1998) that crashed on 28 January in Baramati, Pune district, with Ajit Pawar and four others on board.

Posting the clip on social media, Jay Pawar said, “We lost our father...this pain will stay with us for a lifetime. In this video, Rohit Singh, owner of VSR, is seen asleep in the chief pilot's seat during the flight. Such negligence while the aircraft is in the air is unacceptable. This is extremely serious and shocking.”

He urged the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) to take “immediate and strict action” and ground all aircraft operated by VSR Ventures until the investigation is completed.

“All VSR aircraft must be grounded with immediate effect until a complete investigation is conducted, and Rohit Singh should be arrested without delay and subjected to stringent legal action. This is a son's anguished appeal...for my father and for the safety of every passenger,” he said.

The AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) on Saturday released its preliminary report on the crash, stating that visibility at the time was below the required level. It flagged fading runway markings and loose gravel on the runway surface at Baramati, and recommended that the DGCA ensure stakeholders maintain safety standards at uncontrolled airfields.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the findings, Jay Pawar said, “I read the preliminary report. I feel pain and am disappointed that the report was not detailed and complete. People of Maharashtra and the families who lost their loved ones in the accident should get transparent information about the plane crash and all the questions should be answered.”

He also called for action against the company’s entire fleet. “DGCA grounded some aircraft of VSR on the basis of some loopholes. A possibility can not be ruled out that other aircraft also have similar loopholes,” he said. “If serious discrepancies are found in following the rules and SOPs, then instead of taking action against some aircraft, action should be taken against the entire fleet.”

He added that the DGCA, while prioritising passenger safety, should consider halting the entire operations of VSR Ventures.

With inputs from PTI