Everything was going smoothly aboard the chartered flight as it cruised towards Bangkok on Monday. But mid-air, an unexpected order changed everything—the plane was told to turn back to Pune.
Onboard was Rushiraj Sawant, son of former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena MLC Tanaji Sawant, whose sudden disappearance with two friends had triggered panic back home. A kidnapping complaint, a frantic search by Pune Police, and a shocking twist later, the flight was back where it started.
So, what really happened? Here’s how the mid-air drama unfolded.
The drama began when Rushiraj Sawant, 32, left for Bangkok on a chartered flight with two friends—without informing his family.
Hours later, when his parents were unable to reach him, concern over his whereabouts grew.
The situation took a serious turn when an anonymous caller informed the police control room that the former minister’s son had been taken away by unidentified individuals.
According to The Indian Express, a staff member at the JSPM Narhe Technical Campus—an institute under the Sawant family-run Jayawant Shikshan Prasarak Mandal (JSPM) Trust—claimed that Rushiraj, who serves as the institute’s director, had allegedly been kidnapped in a Swift car.
Acting swiftly, Pune City Police registered an FIR for kidnapping, and the case was soon handed over to the Crime Branch.
Meanwhile, Tanaji Sawant and his family reportedly reached out to top officials, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior leaders in Mumbai, as well as the Union Ministry for Civil Aviation, in an urgent bid to bring Rushiraj back.
“It never happens in our home. Even if he (Rushiraj) is going to Wakad in the suburban Pimpri-Chinchwad, he informs me,” Sawant told the reporters in a press conference. “But when we got to know that he had gone with two friends without taking his car and had taken a private chartered flight, we became concerned…And because of this, I called CP saheb (the Police commissioner of Pune), other senior officers and Fadnavis saheb (CM Devendra Fadnavis). Police are also trying their level best and we are also trying our level best to bring him back.”
Tanaji Sawant, a Shiv Sena MLC, previously served as a minister in the Eknath Shinde-led government. His sons, Rushiraj and Giriraj, hold key positions in the JSPM Trust and are also involved in multiple family-run businesses in the agriculture and real estate sectors, according to public records.
As the investigation progressed, authorities uncovered that Rushiraj and his friends were on a chartered flight headed for Bangkok, which they booked a day earlier for Rs 78 lakh through a Noida-based chartered flight operator.
The pilots, who were flying over Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands then, were soon asked to return mid-air.
“When we received the first call from family members asking us to turn the flight around, we didn’t believe it. We don’t usually trust such calls as they could be hoaxes,” an executive from the airline operator told PTI. “But after verifying with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA, and learning it involved a kidnapping case being investigated by the police, we decided to turn the flight back to Pune.”
The executive went on to explain that the passengers were kept in the dark about the diversion to avoid any ruckus or arguments with the pilots and crew.
“The screen showing maps and navigation was switched off, and they had no idea that the plane was heading back to Pune,” he continued. “They were just relaxing after their meal.”
When the flight finally landed at Pune International Airport, Rushiraj and his friends were taken by surprise and angrily questioned the pilots. The pilot-in-command calmly explained they were simply following orders.
The plane touched down at Pune airport between 8 and 8:30 pm on Monday, just hours after takeoff.
“Once the flight landed, CISF personnel quickly boarded the plane and escorted them out,” the executive added.
In Pune, Rushiraj clarified to the police that the flight was booked for a “business trip.” He mentioned that after a recent visit to Dubai, he feared his family might disapprove of him taking “consecutive foreign trips,” which led him to keep this one a secret.
However, he did not specify what the business trip was about. Rushiraj, speaking in front of his family, told the police that he had no idea his trip would lead to such a situation, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailesh Balkawade in an interview with Times of India. The two friends who accompanied him also gave their statements.
A senior police officer confirmed that, based on the statements, there was no indication of abduction, and a closure report would soon be filed.
However, the episode triggered strong reactions from the opposition, accusing Sawant of a “family feud” and “misuse of state machinery.” Several leaders called for action against him, while some demanded Mohol’s resignation for allegedly enabling the situation.
“The entire system seems to have been misused just because the son of a politician angrily left for Bangkok. This is nothing but blatant misuse of power,” said Sanjay Raut, spokesperson of Shiv Sena (UBT), the rival faction. “Both Sawant and Mohol should face action in the matter.”
Asked whether seeking such help was a misuse of law, Rushiraj’s older brother, Giriraj, defended their actions, stating it wasn’t and the Shiv Sena leader did what “any parent would have”. “It just happened out of panic, and a complaint of abduction was lodged,” he explained.
With input from agencies
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Why Bangkok flight carrying former Maharashtra minister’s son was asked to return mid-air
