Ajit Pawar’s plane crash: Police register ADR, Maharashtra CID to take over probe
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau already launched a probe.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau already launched a probe.
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau already launched a probe.
Baramati: Police here on Wednesday have registered an accidental death report (ADR) in connection with the plane crash in Baramati that claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, said an official.
The crash occurred in the morning when a chartered aircraft carrying Pawar (66) and four others went down around 200 metres from the tabletop runway at Baramati airport in Pune district.
Confirming the development, a senior officer from Pune rural police said, "We have registered an accidental death report (ADR) with the Baramati taluka police station."
As per established procedure, the ADR will be transferred to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which will carry out its probe based on the findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The AAIB, operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has already assumed charge of investigating the crash.
A CID official said that when an accident involves the death of a prominent public figure, the investigation is typically handled by the CID. "We have not yet received any orders. However, it is likely that CID will receive the orders and will likely conduct the probe into the ADR registered with local police," he said.
Pawar, who led the NCP, had departed from Mumbai earlier in the day to address four election rallies in Pune district ahead of the February 5 Zilla Parishad polls, reported PTI.
Those killed along with him were pilot Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had logged 15,000 flying hours, co-pilot Captain Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of experience, personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali.
According to a government statement outlining the sequence of events, the Learjet was initially asked to execute a go-around due to poor visibility. After receiving landing clearance, the aircraft failed to give a read-back to air traffic control and shortly thereafter caught fire near the edge of the runway.