Ajit Pawar Death Case: CID to review Zero FIR as witness statement

The Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID) will incorporate a Zero FIR lodged by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar into its ongoing investigation into the January 28 plane crash at Baramati that claimed the life of then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar , a senior official said on Sunday.

The Zero FIR was filed by Rohit Pawar in Bengaluru last month under Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), weeks after the fatal crash. The complaint was subsequently transferred to Baramati Taluka police station in Pune district and later forwarded to the CID.

Officials said a Zero FIR can be registered at any police station regardless of jurisdiction and is later transferred to the appropriate authority for investigation.

Rohit Pawar had earlier alleged that he approached authorities in Karnataka after police in Maharashtra did not register his complaint regarding the Baramati air crash.

A Pune Rural Police officer confirmed that the Zero FIR received from Bengaluru Police has been handed over to the CID. “The CID is already probing an Accidental Death Report (ADR) registered after the crash. The Zero FIR will be treated as a statement under Section 180 of the BNSS and will be examined as part of the investigation,” said Maharashtra CID chief and Additional Director General of Police Sunil Ramanand .

The incident dates back to January 28 , when a Learjet 45 aircraft operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd crashed at Baramati airport in Pune district while flying from Mumbai to Baramati. Ajit Pawar and four others on board were killed in the crash, triggering shock across political circles in Maharashtra.

Following standard procedure, Pune Rural Police registered an ADR, after which the CID began its probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

In parallel, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation launched a technical investigation and submitted its preliminary findings on February 28 . With the inclusion of the Zero FIR, investigators are expected to examine additional claims and statements as part of the ongoing multi-agency probe into the fatal crash.