Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) On the final day of the State Legislature’s Monsoon Session on Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis detailed the ongoing investigation into the tragic death of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an aircraft crash. Responding to queries on why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not taken over the case yet, Chief Minister Fadnavis said a dual inquiry is currently underway.

“The investigation is being conducted on two fronts by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Many have questioned why the CBI isn’t involved yet. The CBI requires the final AAIB report before it can officially initiate its probe,” he said.

Addressing initial suspicions regarding the pilot, Sumit Kapoor, the Chief Minister said the CID had thoroughly scrutinised all of his financial records.

“Every bank account associated with the pilot was checked, but absolutely nothing suspicious was found,” he added.

Providing a technical update on the crash investigation, Chief Minister Fadnavis confirmed that crucial flight data had been successfully retrieved. All essential documents and data from the aircraft’s black box have been fully recovered, he said.

“A preliminary report has already been submitted. While standard aviation crash investigations typically take three to four years, the state has requested an expedited process. Following a special request to the Central government, the final report is expected before January, ideally ahead of the late leader’s death anniversary. Once this final report is published, it will provide concrete leads for further investigation by either the CBI or the CID,” the Chief Minister said.

Concluding his statement, Chief Minister Fadnavis urged political leaders and the public to refrain from baseless speculation, noting that a First Information Report (FIR) has already been registered in Karnataka, where the crash occurred.

“We must first establish who is legally at fault, and that cannot be done without the official AAIB report. While emotions are running high, the law does not operate on emotion. Any premature action will fail legal scrutiny in court. Therefore, we must wait for the final report,” the Chief Minister said.

–IANS

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