Pune, Mar 2 (PTI) Jay Pawar, son of Maharashtra’s late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has shared a purported video on social media alleging that VSR Ventures owner Rohit Singh was seen dozing off in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight, and demanded his immediate arrest.
He also demanded that all aircraft of VSR Ventures be grounded till the inquiry into his father’s plane crash is completed.
VSR Ventures operated the Learjet 45 aircraft which crashed on January 28 with Ajit Pawar and four others on board at Baramati in Pune district.
Sharing the clip on a social media platform, Jay Pawar on Sunday stated, “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 demanded that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take immediate and strict action in the matter.
“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.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said he has seen Jay Pawar’s post and assured that appropriate cognisance of the incident will be taken.
Jay Pawar also expressed disappointment over the preliminary report on the plane crash released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday, which has stated that the visibility at the time was below the required level.
It had flagged fading marks on the runway and the presence of loose gravel on the runway surface at Baramati, as it recommended the regulator DGCA to ensure that stakeholders maintain safety standards at uncontrolled airfields.
“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,” Jay Pawar said.
The late NCP leader’s younger son also demanded strict action against the entire fleet of VSR Ventures.
“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 demanded.
The DGCA, while giving topmost preference to the safety of passengers, should think of halting the entire operations of VSR Ventures, he added. PTI SPK GK BNM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.