Baramati Plane Crash: VSR Company Owner Calls Flight Attendant’s Brother, Asks Him Not to Speak to Media

The ill-fated plane that crashed in Baramati, killing former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, was operated by the VSR company. Its owner, VK Singh, allegedly called Karan Mali, the brother of Pinky Mali, the flight attendant who lost her life in the crash, and asked him and his father to stay away from the media.

Pinky Mali’s brother, Karan Mali, said he received a WhatsApp call on February 28 from VSR company owner VK Singh. Speaking to news agency IANS, he said VK Singh spoke to him in a loud voice and “asked what my father was saying in the media”.

“I told him that I would give him my father’s number so he could speak to him directly, but he said he would not talk to him and told me to explain things to my father… They are trying to put pressure on us,” said Karan Mali.

Also Read | Who Was Pinky Mali? Flight Attendant Killed in Ajit Pawar Plane Crash.

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Karan Mali, brother of Pinky Mali, the flight attendant who lost her life in the plane crash in which former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also lost his life, says, "On February 28, I received a phone call from VSR company owner VK Singh. He spoke to me in a loud… pic.twitter.com/N1QJWPEiCQ

— IANS (@ians_india) March 10, 2026

Karan Mali said they are taking help from NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar in connection with the Baramati plane crash incident. He said VK Singh warned him to stay away from the media.

Mali also claimed that when he called VK Singh regarding his deceased sister Pinky Mali, Singh allegedly asked Karan not to give “loose statements in the media”. He also asked whether media people would give them money or bring back Ajit Pawar. Singh told Karan not to give any statements to the media.

VK Singh also said that he would meet Karan Mali when he visits Mumbai. Singh also blamed the pilot of the Learjet for the fatal crash that killed then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others in January.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Rohit Pawar said VK Singh was trying to pin the blame on the pilot. The Crime Investigation Department had questioned Singh and recorded his statement last week, a CID officer had said, without disclosing details.

A Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Ajit Pawar and four others. 

“The CID has said that the investigation into Ajit Dada’s plane crash is still underway. It is even difficult to talk about the credibility of the recent preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB),” Rohit Pawar wrote on X.

He stated that at times, reports say the black box of the plane was burnt, while at other times it is claimed that the data has been recovered. “Meanwhile, the investigating agencies are maintaining complete silence on the matter,” Pawar added.

Also Read |  Ajit Pawar plane crash: 'Papa, I am going to Baramati', flight attendant Pinky Mali's last call.

Citing reports in a section of media about a submission purportedly made by Singh to CID, the NCP (SP) MLA said, “What exactly was recorded in the black box has still not been revealed. If that is the case, how did VSR company owner V K Singh come to know within a short time of the crash that it was the pilot’s fault? “If this gentleman is declaring that the pilot was at fault and washing his hands of the matter, it appears as though he is trying to shift the blame onto someone else while keeping himself out of it,” he added.

He stated that until authorities release concrete and credible information about the plane crash, people should not believe any discussions or baseless claims.