NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar arrives at Vidhan Bhavan during the Budget session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, in Mumbai on February 25, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Amid high voltage drama on Wednesday (February 25, 2026), NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar filed a complaint seeking criminal action against VSR Ventures and its directors, responsible officials of DGCA and State government, and unknown accused in connection with the death of his uncle and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati.
As per the complaint accessed by The Hindu, Mr. Pawar has sought action against those mentioned “for offences including causing death by negligence, cheating, criminal breach of trust, falsification of records and endangerment of life and conspiracy”. He has raised issues of safety compliance for Arrow Aircraft Sales and Charters Pvt Limited.
On Wednesday (February 25, 2026), Mr. Pawar had a confrontation with a senior police officer at the Marine Drive police station in Mumbai. “As a citizen, I am well within my rights to register an FIR. The police cannot refuse to register an FIR. On what grounds are they refusing it? We want a thorough investigation in Dada’s death. We want all the questions to be answered. I am going to go to Baramati tomorrow. I am going to persistently follow this issue, and press for the registration of an FIR there as well,” Mr. Pawar, accompanied by legislators Amol Mitkari, Idris Naikwadi and Sandeep Kshirsagar, told The Hindu.
He said that the police refused to register an FIR. “Under whose instructions did the officer operate?” he asked.
“What can the ordinary people expect for justice if this is being done regarding the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra who was in power with them? The conduct of the police has further intensified our suspicion regarding the plane crash. If even after demands by elected representatives from both the opposition and ruling parties the police are discarding the demand to register an FIR, it is unfortunate for Maharashtra,” Mr. Pawar said.
Meanwhile, the Marine Drive police station issued a statement saying as per an already existent FIR, the case was being probed by the Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department, even as an ADR (Accidental Death Report) was registered in Baramati. DCP Praveen Munde said that the complaint submitted by Rohit Pawar was forwarded to the CID for further investigation.
Complaint letter
Mr. Pawar submitted a 20-page letter to the Mumbai police which raises 43 points. It has been signed by several legislators from NCP and NCP(SP). It names Vijay Kumar Singha, Rohit Kumar Singh of VSR Ventures Private Limited, and seeks the registration of FIR against them for causing death by negligence.
Levelling serious allegations against a few officials of the DGCA, Mr. Pawar has claimed that there was forgery of documents and electronic records in the matter. He has raised circumstantial issues, alleging procedural lapses and deviation from standard protocols.
Mr. Pawar has so far demanded the resignation of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. “The DGCA’s report (on Tuesday) is a partial success regarding my demand against the company. The special safety audit noticed several non-compliances in approved procedures in the areas of airworthiness, air safety and flight operations. It means my earlier (claims at) press conferences and issues raised then are now admitted by the DGCA,” he said, demanding that VSR’s aircrafts should be grounded.
All these issues have been raised by him so far through the press conferences he has held on the issue. Supriya Sule, his aunt and NCP(SP) MP, said that the matter needed a through inquiry and that truth needed to be brought out.
She also said that Rohit Pawar was studiously bringing out several concerns which needed to be addressed.
Published – February 26, 2026 10:16 am IST
