Ajit Pawar death: Flight attendant Pinky Mali's father seeks thorough probe

A day after Nationalist Congress Party NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar raised questions about the Baramati air crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar the father of flight attendant Pinky Mali has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident reported the PTIPinky Mali was among the five people who died in the crash on January 28Speaking to PTI Shivkumar Mali said both possibilities mdash accident and sabotage mdash must be examinedldquoWhether it was an accident or sabotage both aspects should be investigated by the governmentrdquo he saidHe added that the truth must come out and that his daughter should receive justice He also said he found substance in the suspicions expressed by Rohit Pawar and NCP legislator Amol Mitkari according to the PTIQuestions over lastminute changesMali said his daughter was flying with Ajit Pawar for the fifth time when the crash occurredReferring to media reports he claimed that both the aircraft and the pilot were changed at the last minute He urged investigating agencies to examine these developments carefullyHe also questioned the explanation given by the private company that the pilot was replaced because the original pilot was stuck in trafficldquoThere is usually no heavy traffic on Mumbai roads around 630 amrdquo he saidHe added that the tragedy might not have occurred if an experienced pilot had been flying the aircraftRohit Pawar seeks multiagency probeOn Tuesday Rohit Pawar raised several questions about the sequence of events leading up to the crash He alleged there were reasons to suspect sabotage and called for a comprehensive investigation by multiple expert agenciesFamily backgroundPinky Mali lived in Thane with her husbandAccording to her father she had visited her parents in Prabhadevi central Mumbai on January 15 to cast her vote in the civic body electionsInvestigations into the crash are ongoingRohit Pawar questions lastminute changes suspects sabotageRohit Pawar had on Tuesday questioned lastminute changes and suspected sabotage angle in Ajit Pawars deathRohit Pawarmade a detailed presentation to address doubts surrounding the circumstances in the plane crash near Baramati last monthThe late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed in an airplane crash on January 28 2026Speaking at a press conference after the presentation Rohit Pawar raised questions about lastminute changes in Ajit Pawarrsquos travel plansRohit Pawar said that his uncle Ajit Pawar was originally scheduled to travel from Mumbai to Pune on the evening of January 27 and his convoy was also ready However a meeting with a senior leader delayed him leading to a change in plans and travel being shifted to the morning of January 28Rohit Pawar said that Ajit Pawar was always cautious about flying and avoided unnecessary risks Although he reached the airport on time the flight departed late he addedRohit Pawar raises sabotage suspicions angleRohit Pawar alleged that there were grounds to suspect sabotage in the air crash that killed his uncleHe demanded a comprehensive investigation by multiple expert agencies including international bodiesNotably NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar has earlier ruled out any conspiracy and described the incident as an accidentRohit Pawar said the Crime Investigation Department CID alone would not have sufficient authority to probe the case thoroughly He called for an independent investigation involving agencies such as the US National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Francersquos Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis BEA the UKbased Air Accidents Investigation Branch AAIB along with Indian agenciesHe also raised concerns that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau AAIB functions under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA which could limit the scope of an independent inquiry 10022026 httpstco9XAKinUZZxmdash Rohit Pawar RRPSpeaks February 10 2026with PTI inputs