Maharashtra CID Faces Allegations of Inaction in Ajit Pawar Plane Crash Probe
In a significant development in the investigation of the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of senior politician Ajit Pawar, his nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has leveled serious allegations against the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Speaking to reporters in Baramati on Saturday, Rohit Pawar asserted that while the Karnataka police had formally transferred the First Information Report (FIR) registered in the case to the Maharashtra CID, the state agency has failed to take any substantive action on it.
Transfer of FIR and Alleged Delays
The controversy stems from Rohit Pawar's persistent efforts to have a criminal conspiracy angle investigated in the January 28 plane crash in Baramati, which resulted in the deaths of Ajit Pawar and four others. Dissatisfied with the initial response from Maharashtra police, Rohit Pawar approached the Karnataka government for assistance. This led to the registration of a zero FIR with the Bengaluru police last month, which has since been transferred to Maharashtra authorities for further investigation.
"I met the Director-General of Police regarding the FIR," Rohit Pawar stated. "He admitted that the Karnataka police had transferred the FIR to the state. Now the police are playing with words. Instead of starting an investigation, the police are saying they would be conducting an inquiry."
CID's Official Response and Legal Framework
However, Maharashtra CID officials present a different perspective. Additional Director-General of Police (CID) Sunil Ramanand told TOI that the department has indeed received the FIR from the Bengaluru police through the Maharashtra government and has incorporated it into their ongoing investigation.
"We have received the FIR that was registered with the Bengaluru police from the Maharashtra government," Ramanand explained. "We have included it in our ongoing probe of the accidental death report (ADR) under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The FIR will be treated as a statement and investigated in detail."
Section 180 of the BNSS provides police officers with the authority to orally examine any person familiar with the facts of a case during investigation proceedings. Ramanand further clarified that "further probe of the ADR is going on, and more details from the central agencies are awaited."
Broader Implications and Political Context
The discrepancy between Rohit Pawar's allegations and the CID's statements highlights the complex nature of cross-state investigations in high-profile cases. The zero FIR mechanism, which allows for the registration of an FIR in any police station regardless of jurisdiction, was specifically utilized in this case to initiate proceedings that could then be transferred to the appropriate investigative agency.
The ongoing investigation into the plane crash that claimed Ajit Pawar's life continues to draw significant attention, with political implications given the prominent status of the individuals involved. The Maharashtra CID's approach of treating the transferred FIR as a statement within the broader accidental death report investigation represents a specific procedural interpretation that has now become a point of contention.
As the probe continues, all eyes remain on how the Maharashtra CID will proceed with examining the allegations contained in the transferred FIR and whether their investigation under BNSS provisions will address the concerns raised by Rohit Pawar regarding potential criminal conspiracy elements in the tragic incident.
