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Feared kidnapped, ex-minister’s son’s flight to Thailand for ‘business trip’ recalled midair
The diversion occurred after police registered a kidnapping case following an anonymous tip. Rishiraj and his friends were unaware of the change in plans.
Hours after former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son, Rishiraj Sawant, was reported missing on February 10, a chartered flight that had departed from Pune to Bangkok, Thailand, made a U-turn midair.
As reported by PTI, the flight carrying Rishiraj and two of his friends returned to Pune after aviation authorities verified a request to change the flight's course, halting their trip to the Thai capital.
The flight turned back and landed at Pune airport between 8 pm and 8:30 pm on Monday, abruptly cutting short their trip to the Thai capital. The change in plans was not disclosed to the former minister, who is a leader of the ruling Shiv Sena, or his family.
PTI reported that the executive of the company operating the airline insisted on Wednesday that the decision to divert the airborne plane to Pune was made only after due verification.
Here's why flight got diverted
Rishiraj Sawant and his two friends, heading to Bangkok on what they later claimed was a “business trip”, were hurriedly brought back to Pune after police registered a kidnapping case following an anonymous call and intervention of his father Tanaji Sawant.
“When we received the first call (from family members) asking us to turnaround the flight, we did not believe it. We cannot believe these kinds of calls as they could be hoax,” 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 turnaround the flight was taken and it returned to Pune,” he said.
He said the civil aviation regulator DGCA appreciated his company's decision to recall the flight mid-way.
The executive maintained it was perhaps the first-of-its-kind instance in which a flight was recalled mid-way, citing 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,” he said.
When the flight was asked to return to the Pune airport, it was flying over Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the three persons onboard was not informed about the diversion to avoid ruckus or arguments with the pilots and crew members, explained the executive.
“The screen in front of the passengers showing maps and navigation were 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.
Once the flight touched down at the Pune airport, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel quickly went inside and escorted them out of the plane, according to the executive.
The flight operator received a few calls from the DGCA and provided all necessary information, he said, adding, “We explained everything to them and presented the SOPs that were followed.”
Here's how things unfolded…
It all began after the Pune police received an anonymous call at around 4 pm on Monday that Rishiraj Sawant was taken away by some unidentified persons.
Police swiftly registered a kidnapping case as panicked Tanaji Sawant rushed to the police commissioner's office for help.
It was perhaps the first-of-its-kind instance in which a flight was recalled mid-way, citing registration of a criminal case against a passenger.
Investigations suggested Rishiraj Sawant, along with his two friends, had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok without informing his family, according to the police.
Key Takeaways
- The incident highlights the complexities of aviation regulations in response to emergency situations.
- It raises awareness about the importance of communication between family members regarding travel plans.
- The quick response from law enforcement illustrates the urgency and seriousness of potential kidnapping threats.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaFeared kidnapped, ex-minister’s son’s flight to Thailand for ‘business trip’ recalled midair
First Published:13 Feb 2025, 12:41 PM IST
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