‘Secret’ Bangkok trip of Shiv Sena leader’s son cut short mid-air, flight diverted to Pune
Rushiraj Sawant, son of former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant, was on a chartered flight to Bangkok when it was unexpectedly diverted mid-air back to Pune.
The flight, which had already passed Port Blair, was turned around after police received an anonymous tip about a kidnapping involving Sawant.
Unaware of the situation, Sawant and his two friends were shocked to land in Pune instead of Bangkok, as the crew followed instructions from aviation authorities and the police.
The pilots of a flight carrying ex-Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son to Bangkok initially thought the order to return to Pune was a “hoax.” However, after checking with aviation authorities, they followed the instructions.
The pilots of a flight carrying ex-Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son to Bangkok initially thought the order to return to Pune was a ‘hoax.’ However, after verifying with aviation authorities, they followed the instructions.
The chartered flight, carrying Rushiraj Sawant and his two friends, returned to Pune between 8 pm and 8.30 pm on Monday, cutting short their trip to Bangkok.
The journey had not been disclosed to Rushiraj’s father, Tanaji Sawant, who is a leader of the ruling Shiv Sena.
The decision to divert the flight to Pune was made only after thorough verification, according to the airline executive.
Rushiraj Sawant and his two friends, who were traveling to Bangkok, described it as a “business trip.”
They were quickly returned to Pune after the police registered a kidnapping case based on an anonymous call and the intervention of his father, Tanaji Sawant.
“When we received the first call (from family members) asking us to turn around the flight, we did not believe it. We cannot believe these kinds of calls as they could be hoaxes,” the executive from the airline operator said.
“But after due verification from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and knowing it pertained to a kidnapping case being probed by police, the decision to turn around the flight was taken and it returned to Pune,” he added.
The executive stated that this was likely the first instance of a flight being recalled mid-way due to the registration of a criminal case against a passenger.
“Such things happen only in case of some sort of emergency, such as medical or technical emergency,” the official added.
The flight was diverted while flying over Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To prevent any disturbance or arguments, the three passengers on board were not informed about the change in destination, said the executive.
“The screen in front of the passengers showing maps and navigation was already switched off, and they had no inkling their plane was returning to Pune without their knowledge. They were relaxing after having food,” he said.
“After touching down at the Pune International Airport, the passenger (Rushiraj) and the two others were surprised and angrily questioned the pilots. The pilot-in-command told them they were just following instructions,” he said.
After the flight landed in Pune, CISF personnel escorted the passengers off the plane. The flight operator complied with requests from the DGCA, providing all necessary information and explaining the standard operating procedures followed.
The incident began when Pune police received an anonymous call at 4 pm on Monday, alleging that Rushiraj Sawant had been abducted. Following this, a kidnapping case was quickly registered, prompting his father, Tanaji Sawant, to seek help from the police commissioner.
Investigations revealed that Rushiraj, along with his two friends, had secretly booked the chartered flight to Bangkok without informing his family. He later told the police that he kept the trip hidden to avoid upsetting his family.
Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders criticised the police for acting swiftly on the anonymous call, alleging that Tanaji Sawant misused the police machinery to bring his son back.
