Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that the preliminary report on the January 28 crash that killed NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others will be out on or before February 28.
Mohol stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has clarified all investigation details and emphasized that the report will be made public.
It follows the Civil Aviation Ministry’s earlier assurance of releasing it within 30 days of the accident.
The preliminary report on the plane crash that killed NCP leader Ajit Pawar is expected to be released on or before February 28, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol said on Sunday.
Pawar and four others died on January 28 when their Learjet 45 crashed a short distance from Baramati airport.
Speaking to reporters, Mohol said, "The preliminary report will be out before one month (from the day of the incident) on or before February 28." The crash has sparked intense speculation, with NCP (SP) MLA and Pawar’s nephew Rohit Pawar holding multiple press conferences to highlight what he claimed were irregularities involving the aircraft-owning firm and other technical anomalies. He has also questioned whether foul play was involved.
On Saturday, the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu resign from the Union government until the crash inquiry is complete.
"Serious questions have been raised about the company VSR and its links with Rammohan Naidu's party (TDP). These links must be investigated by an independent and competent authority, preferably in collaboration with international agencies," Pawar wrote in the letter, which was also marked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Mohol, however, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has already issued a statement clarifying all aspects of the ongoing investigation.
"The statement released from the agency has informed that the preliminary report will be released before February 28. Everything about the investigation is kept in front of all and the report will be made public. I do not want to comment on anybody's remarks," he added.
Earlier, on February 19, the Civil Aviation Ministry had said a preliminary report would be made public within 30 days of the accident.
