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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Baramati Police refuse FIR as well, Rohit Pawar vows to fight

Mumbai | Pune : Baramati Taluka Police on Thursday refused NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar’s demand to file an FIR over the plane crash that killed former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in January. Rohit Pawar was accompanied by his cousin Yugendra Pawar and their supporters as they approached Baramati Police. Even after one-and-a-half hours of heated discussion, police officials did not agree to file an FIR but only accepted a written complaint. Rohit Pawar had a similar experience at Marine Drive Police...

Baramati Police refuse FIR as well, Rohit Pawar vows to fight

Mumbai | Pune : Baramati Taluka Police on Thursday refused NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar’s demand to file an FIR over the plane crash that killed former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in January. Rohit Pawar was accompanied by his cousin Yugendra Pawar and their supporters as they approached Baramati Police. Even after one-and-a-half hours of heated discussion, police officials did not agree to file an FIR but only accepted a written complaint. Rohit Pawar had a similar experience at Marine Drive Police Station on Wednesday. What happened Outside the station house in Baramati, an agitated Rohit Pawar said the police maintained that the CID, AAIB and DGCA were already investigating the crash. “The police have transferred their accidental death report case to the CID, which is probing it now. Our demand is to register a case against the officials of DGCA, the Learjet owners VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd., and also the handler, Arrow Aviation Services, for giving false information on the prevailing weather conditions at Baramati that day. However, the police have not lodged the FIR,” alleged Rohit Pawar. He argued that the AAIB will confine itself to the technical aspects of the crash and would not examine the alleged criminal angles leading to the tragedy. “We raised the DGCA’s (Tuesday) report grounding five Learjets of VSRVPL for non-compliance with approved procedures pertaining to airworthiness, air safety and flight operations. If there were issues with the aircraft, then why was it chartered to Ajit Pawar?” Rohit Pawar asked. The Jamkhed–Karjat MLA reiterated his demand for the resignation of Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu until the probe into the Baramati disaster is completed. Supporters join the Pawars Over a hundred lawyers and senior members of the local Bar Association, plus a large number of Pawar supporters, trooped to the Baramati Taluka police station, raising slogans and demanding justice for Ajit Pawar as Rohit and Yugendra arrived. Rohit Pawar claimed that despite answering all police queries and asserting their legal rights, officers remained unmoved. “Some of the police officials had become emotional; we noticed that they were ready to cooperate but were under some pressure from outside,” he alleged. Yugendra Pawar joins clamour Backing Rohit Pawar, Yugendra Pawar demanded that the police must register an FIR against VSRVPL, and expressed confidence that the Baramati Police would ‘give us justice 100 percent’. “A large number of admirers of Ajit Pawar have spontaneously arrived here and it is the demand of the masses to file the FIR, take proper action against those concerned and ensure justice for our great leader whom we lost in the air crash,” Yugendra Pawar said. Among the crowd, many raised concerns about how ‘certain forces’ were allegedly blocking the FIR They had suspicions of a possible conspiracy. CID investigation The Pune-headquartered Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday said that it was probing multiple angles, including criminal conspiracy, criminal negligence and illegal omissions behind the Jan. 28 Baramati air-crash. “The Baramati Taluka Police have registered an ADR (No. 11/2026), under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. We are investigating different angles, including a criminal conspiracy, criminal negligence or rash act and criminal illegal omissions to determine whether it was an accident or a plot,” Additional Director General of Police, CID, Sunil Ramanand told mediapersons.   “The probe is underway at the right pace and proceeding in the right direction… The investigations are being done most professionally. We have a big team and are taking help from various other agencies,” he said.   He added that when AAIB releases its report, it will be ‘factored in’ for the CID probe.   “Our focus is solely on the criminal aspects. Certain aspects have come to our notice… and more may emerge as the probe progresses,” said Ramanand.

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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