‘Ajit Pawar Threatened With Scam Files Before Death, Claims Sanjay Raut; BJP Denies’

New Delhi, Jan 02 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday questioned the circumstances surrounding the plane crash that killed former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28, calling the incident “suspicious” and demanding a thorough investigation.

Raut said the death of a senior leader like Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, coupled with emerging details, warranted closer scrutiny. He claimed doubts were not limited to opposition voices but were also being raised within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

NCP–SP leader Anil Deshmukh echoed the demand, saying a comprehensive inquiry was necessary to establish the truth at the earliest.

Raut also cast doubt on the official explanation that poor visibility caused the crash. Referring to videos of the incident, he said the aircraft appeared clearly visible during its approach and landing attempt. He noted that the black box had been recovered and said its analysis would provide clarity.

Against the backdrop of speculation over a possible reunification of the two NCP factions, Raut alleged that Ajit Pawar had planned to “return home” politically after coming under pressure from the BJP over the Sinchan scam. He claimed Ajit Pawar had responded strongly to the alleged threats and died under mysterious circumstances within days.

Drawing a parallel with the Justice B.H. Loya case, Raut suggested the sequence of events raised serious questions that could not be ignored.

After Ajit Pawar’s death, discussions around a merger of the rival NCP factions intensified, with leaders from both sides claiming that reunification had been finalised before the crash. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had earlier said Ajit was expected to announce the merger on February 12.

However, Sharad Pawar had also appealed for restraint, urging people not to politicise his nephew’s death and maintaining that the plane crash was an accident.