The fallout of the January 28 aircraft crash linked to Ajit Pawar has deepened, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA moving to ground four aircraft operated by VSR Ventures following a Special Audit conducted after the Baramati accident.
Top sources confirmed that four aircraft belonging to VSR Ventures, a Non-Scheduled Operator, will be grounded based on findings from audit and surveillance checks ordered in the aftermath of the crash.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, AAIB, is continuing its probe into the Learjet 45 accident that occurred during its approach to Baramati in Maharashtra on January 28. The aircraft was part of VSR’s fleet.
FLEET IMPACT
VSR Ventures operates a fleet of 17 aircraft. These include seven Learjet 45 aircraft, one of which was involved in the Baramati crash. The fleet also comprises five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200 aircraft and one Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
With one Learjet already lost in the crash and four aircraft now grounded by the regulator, the action significantly affects the operator’s operational capacity.
Sources indicated that the grounding order stems from compliance issues detected during the post-crash Special Audit and surveillance exercise.
POLITICAL RESPONSE
Reacting to the DGCA’s action, Rohit Pawar said concerns about VSR’s operations had been raised repeatedly.
“We have been repeatedly raising the issue that VSR company is not following any compliances and is operating aircraft in an extremely arbitrary and unsafe manner. Today, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA has grounded four of VSR’s aircraft on the very same issue of non-compliance,” he said.
“Although our struggle is beginning to see success, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is still much more yet to come to light. I will speak in detail on this matter tomorrow morning,” he added.
PROBE UNDERWAY
While the DGCA has initiated regulatory action based on audit findings, the AAIB investigation into the January 28 crash remains underway. The bureau’s final report is expected to determine the cause of the accident and assess whether systemic lapses contributed to the incident.
The Baramati crash, now firmly linked to regulatory action against the operator, has brought renewed focus on safety compliance among non-scheduled operators as scrutiny of VSR Ventures intensifies.
– Ends
Published By:
Sonali Verma
Published On:
Feb 24, 2026
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