Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday claimed that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may have faced a serious threat to his life during a 2023 flight to the World Economic Forum in Davos, reported news agency IANS.
Addressing a press conference, Pawar alleged that the private jet carrying Shinde had entered Iranian airspace without prior clearance while travelling from Bahrain towards Zurich between January 16 and 20, 2023, reported IANS.
He claimed that the Iranian Air Force issued a warning to the aircraft, stating it would be shot down if it did not immediately change course. According to Pawar, a similar warning was issued when the aircraft approached Iraqi airspace.
Questions Raised Over Flight Clearances
Pawar alleged that the aircraft was operated by aviation company VSR and questioned whether proper international flight clearances had been obtained before the aircraft entered restricted airspace, reported IANS.
He pointed out that VIP and international flights require strict flight plans and approvals from Air Traffic Control authorities of all countries involved.
Calling the incident a serious lapse, Pawar said such negligence could have endangered the lives of senior government officials travelling on the aircraft, reported IANS.
Links Drawn to Ajit Pawar Plane Crash
The MLA also attempted to draw parallels between the alleged 2023 incident and the recent plane crash that killed former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
He alleged that the aircraft involved in the crash had a history of irregular logging of flight hours, suggesting that the plane’s actual usage may have been higher than recorded, reported IANS.
Pawar further claimed that unidentified individuals had conducted reconnaissance of the crash site before the accident, hinting at the possibility of a wider conspiracy.
Demand for FIR and Fresh Investigation
Rohit Pawar questioned discrepancies between investigation reports of the two incidents. He said the 2023 aviation report carried the signature of an Assistant Director, while the report on Ajit Pawar’s crash reportedly did not mention the investigating officer, reported IANS.
He demanded that an FIR be registered against officials of the aviation firm involved and called for a thorough investigation into the alleged lapses.
Pawar also urged Eknath Shinde to clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bahrain–Iran airspace incident, adding that flight data from Bahrain’s aviation authorities could help verify the claims.
(With inputs from IANS)
