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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

DGCA team scans Baramati airport

Rohit Pawar bays for probe, suspension of VRSVPL Mumbai: In a major development, a team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reached Pune and carried out a detailed inspection of the Baramati airport where the Learjet crash killed Nationalist Congress Party President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Anantrao Pawar on Jan. 28. The visit came barely 12 hours after Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar made sensational disclosures connected to the air-crash, the...

DGCA team scans Baramati airport

Rohit Pawar bays for probe, suspension of VRSVPL Mumbai: In a major development, a team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reached Pune and carried out a detailed inspection of the Baramati airport where the Learjet crash killed Nationalist Congress Party President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Anantrao Pawar on Jan. 28. The visit came barely 12 hours after Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar made sensational disclosures connected to the air-crash, the purported safety violations perpetrated by the aircraft owner, VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd. (VSRVPL), its top brass, records of the plane plus the individuals and other alleged irregularities. Simultaneously, Rohit Pawar visited New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others on the same issue and to aggressively put up the demand for a proper and full-fledged investigation into the tragedy. “If I am asked if there is anything shady, I will say that it was not merely an accident. It’s a 100 percent conspiracy. I state this with full responsibility and there is nothing political about it. There was something definitely wrong due to which my uncle lost his life,” reiterated Rohit Pawar forcefully in New Delhi today. Seeking a time-bound investigation by European probe agencies in tandem with the DGCA and the CID, he called for a multi-party team of political leaders to oversee and monitor the probe. “Let it be clear. We are very disturbed. There are many questions to which we need answers fast – within a month,” he urged. Rohit Pawar repeated his explosive allegations that the highly connected VSRVPL top brass could manipulate evidence or suppress crucial documents if the probe gets delayed. Citing the experience of the September 2023 Learjet crash at Mumbai Airport, he said the probe report into that aircraft owned by VSRVPL is still languishing and just last week – after the Baramati crash - the Indian authorities committed that it would be completed soon. “The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had sought details of the Sep. 2023 crash from VSRVPL, but the request was spurned. Some media persons informed me that the probe report was ready and was to be sent a couple of weeks ago, but it was apparently scuttled by a senior politician with experience in the aviation department. All this needs to be cross-checked. If that report had been released, it would have brought out many things and remedial measures could have been taken and Ajit Pawar could have been saved,” said Rohit Pawar. The Karjat-Jamkhed law-maker said the company had a troubling history of safety - including issues related to pilots and aircraft maintenance - leading to its suspension by EASA. “Strangely, its operations are still allowed in India. Why was it not suspended here? Political VIPs, business leaders, cricketers and celebrities use its aircraft. They are clearly playing with the lives of top people,” he charged. Rohit Pawar accused VSRVPL of cost-cutting practices and claimed some of its pilots had been found inebriated in the past, and sought scrutiny of internal WhatsApp group chats, including those involving Arrow Aviation Services (AAS) - the handler managing VIP bookings – whose official allegedly provided incorrect weather information. “AAS had told them visibility was normal at Baramati Airport that morning, when it was actually 3,000-metres. This flouts the stringent DGCA norms of no flight operations if visibility is not a minimum 5000-metres,” pointed out Rohit Pawar. He revealed that on Jan. 27 at 7:13 pm, a request was made through Arrow to book the aircraft as Ajit Pawar’s meetings were getting unduly delayed, as he had to urgently sign a file of a senior NCP leader from Vidarbha who was late, and this forced the DyCM to cancel his road travel plans. Rohit Pawar raised serious questions about maintenance lapses as the VSRVPL reportedly has its own in-house MRO. “Who was handling it? Were there qualified aircraft maintenance engineers? What about its hangar details? All this must be fully probed,” he persisted. On the last-minute changes, he asked why the designated pilot Sahil Madan was replaced by Sumit Kapoor, why the flight scheduled to take off at 7 am, departed at 8:10 am, but no convincing reasons have been given so far. He alleged that Kapoor had previously been suspended for three years over alcohol-addiction related issues and was often found consuming liquor during duty hours, as also some others in the company. Cautioning the DGCA against evading responsibility, Rohit Pawar said: “We will not tolerate if the DGCA attempts to run away from a proper probe by making stray statements. It is a good agency, and we expect a thorough technical investigation.” Pawar’s silence Referring to NCP(SP) Supremo Sharad Pawar’s ‘silence’ on possibility of sabotage immediately after the tragedy, Rohit Pawar surmised that it was deliberate, even as other senior leaders across the political spectrum jumped to his support. “However, I am speaking with research-based information. We will not sleep peacefully till all the mysteries are solved, lingering doubts cleared or nagging questions convincingly answered... Ajit Pawar is no more, we only seek the truth,” he added. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that if a Vidarbha leader’s visit had delayed Ajit Pawar’s Baramati road trip, it must be probed. “Who was that leader? What was so important in that file? Would Maharashtra have stopped if it was not signed?” SS (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare said all the points raised by Rohit Pawar are valid and the authorities must take serious note of the issues he wants resolved. Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said: “I have learnt that the Black Box on all VSRVPL aircraft are kept switched off. Was it the same even in this case? If nothing is found in the Black Box of this plane, then no surprises." NCP Amalner MLA Anil Bhaidas Patil urged the media and political parties “not to give any political twist” to Rohit Pawar’s demand for a probe as it could unnecessarily mislead the people of Maharashtra.

A beacon of hope for rural athletes

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

How Akash Shinde transformed from a shy village boy to a prominent kabaddi player

beacon of hope

Mumbai: In the heart of Nashik's Adgaon village, a young boy Akash Shinde dared to dream big. Little did he know that his journey from playing in the muddy grounds of his town to becoming a PKL winner would inspire a generation of aspiring athletes.


“Initially, when I used to play, I would come home with bruises because Kabaddi was played in the mud,” Akash recalls as he enters his fourth season with the Puneri Paltan. And despite his family's initial concerns, his passion for kabaddi burned bright, fuelled by the unwavering support of his early mentors Sagar Malwade and Vinod Labde.


His path to success was far from smooth. He faced numerous setbacks, failing to make the cut in his first attempts at various levels. “I fell short in my first attempts at all levels. I went for my senior camp for Maharashtra and fell short there too!”


But instead of letting these failures discourage him, Akash used them as stepping stones. “These setbacks kept me determined, and I knew I needed to try harder and with renewed energy to show the world what I could do and achieve.”


His breakthrough came in 2019 at a seniors’ trial in Nashik. This performance opened doors, leading him to play in the Junior Nationals and eventually catching the eye of Yuva Paltan, which is the Puneri Paltan’s academy.


The turning point in Akash’s career came when he represented his college in Beed, earning his first chance to play for Maharashtra. Under the guidance of Anil Jagdale and Kailas Jagdale, his skills flourished. His journey accelerated as he moved from Mahindra & Mahindra to Yuva Paltan, where mentors like Sangram and Ashok helped refine his game.


Akash’s PKL debut with Puneri Paltan in Season 8 was a moment of immense pride, not just for him but for his entire village. “No player from the Nashik region had made it to PKL or even the Maharashtra team, so it was a shock, a pleasant one, for everyone. The entire Nashik district was very happy. It felt really good,” he reminisces.


But it was in Season 9 that he truly announced his arrival, becoming a formidable force on the mat. In the 22 matches that Akash played on the way to his first PKL final, he scored 139 raid points, averaging 6.32 raid point per match.


His performances caught the eye of the national selectors, earning him a spot on the Indian team for the Asian Games. “I received my Team India kit on the 27th of October. I still remember it,” he says.


The crowning glory came in PKL Season 10 when Akash, along with his Puneri Paltan teammates, lifted the coveted trophy. Albeit playing a diminished role, he managed an impressive 56 raid points in the 13 matches he played. “There was only one target then... we had made up our minds that we had to win the title this season, whatever it took,” he shared, reflecting on the team’s collective determination. Now, Akash stands as a beacon of hope for young athletes from rural India. His message to them is clear: “Keep believing in yourselves and your dedication and efforts.” He emphasizes the importance of loyalty, urging young players to stay true to the clubs that nurture them.


As he prepares for PKL Season 11, his journey from the muddy grounds of Adgaon to the bright lights of Pro Kabaddi serves as a testament to the power of dreams, determination, and unwavering support.

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