A chartered aircraft with former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant's son Rishiraj Sawant and his two friends en route to Bangkok was brought back to Pune on Monday night after a police-registered case of kidnapping. 

The pilots initially waved off the instruction as a possible prank but went along after confirmation by aviation authorities, an airline executive confirmed on Wednesday.

The chartered plane had gone a considerable distance, having crossed Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, before it was told to turn back to Pune between 8 pm and 8:30 pm. 

The decision to divert the flight was not taken lightly. The airline executive explained that the initial call from family members requesting the turnaround was not considered credible.

“When we received the first call asking us to recall the flight, we didn’t believe it. We cannot trust such calls outright as they could be hoaxes. But after verification from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, and realizing that it involved a kidnapping case under police investigation, we made the decision to bring the flight back,” the executive stated.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) subsequently commended the airline for the prompt and responsible handling of the situation.

Surprisingly, Rishiraj along with his two friends did not know that their trip to Bangkok was suddenly terminated.

“The in-flight screens displaying maps and navigation were already switched off, so the trio had no idea they were heading back to Pune. They were simply relaxing after their meal,” the executive explained.

It was only after the landing that they became aware of what had occurred.“They were shocked and angrily confronted the pilots, who simply stated they were following instructions.” Upon landing at Pune International Airport, CISF personnel quickly boarded the plane and removed the trio.

This started at approximately 4 pm on Monday when an anonymous call was made to the Pune police reporting that Rishiraj Sawant was abducted by unknown individuals.

His father Tanaji Sawant ran to the office of the police commissioner, which forced the authorities to book a case of kidnapping forthwith. Investigations later found that Rishiraj and his friends had arranged for a private charter flight to Bangkok without the knowledge of his family.

When asked, Rishiraj confessed he had not disclosed his "business trip" to his family in order to prevent criticism.

The event has started political controversy, with opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders raising questions over the urgency of the police response. They visited the Sinhgad Road police station—where the kidnapping case was filed—and accused Tanaji Sawant of misusing police machinery to fetch his son home.

“Why was a kidnapping case registered so quickly based on an anonymous call?” opposition leaders questioned, suspecting political interference in the case.

The aviation chief pointed out that such reversals are extremely rare.

“This was possibly the first time a flight was recalled midway due to a criminal case against a passenger. Typically, such diversions happen only in medical or technical emergencies,” he noted.

The flight operator shared information required by DGCA and showed that all normal procedures were being followed.

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