Shiv Sena leader’s son’s ‘Secret’ Bangkok trip interrupted, flight diverted to Pune mid-air
Rushiraj Sawant, the son of former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant, was on a chartered flight to Bangkok when it was unexpectedly diverted to Pune. The flight, already past Port Blair, turned around after police received an anonymous tip about a kidnapping involving Sawant. Unaware of the situation, Rushiraj and his two friends were shocked to land in Pune instead of Bangkok, as the crew followed orders from aviation authorities and the police.
Initially, the pilots thought the order to return to Pune was a “hoax.” However, after verifying with authorities, they complied. The flight, which had been carrying Rushiraj and his friends for a “business trip,” landed in Pune between 8 pm and 8:30 pm on Monday. The trip had not been disclosed to Rushiraj’s father, Tanaji Sawant, who leads the Shiv Sena.
The decision to divert the flight was made after thorough verification. Rushiraj, his friends, and the flight crew were unaware of the change in destination during the journey. They were informed only after landing in Pune, where they questioned the pilots. The pilots explained that they were simply following instructions.
The diversion occurred while the flight was over Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To prevent any disturbance, passengers were not told about the flight’s change in course. The crew had turned off the map display on the flight’s screen, keeping the passengers in the dark until arrival. Upon landing, Rushiraj and his friends were surprised, and the CISF escorted them off the plane.
The incident began when Pune police received an anonymous call at 4 pm on Monday, claiming Rushiraj had been kidnapped. A kidnapping case was registered, prompting his father to seek police assistance. Investigations revealed that Rushiraj had secretly booked the flight to Bangkok without informing his family, fearing his father’s reaction.
Opposition leaders criticized the police for acting on the anonymous tip, accusing Tanaji Sawant of misusing police resources to intervene in his son’s trip.
