Pune: A high-profile family dispute involving Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant’s son, Rishiraj Sawant, took an unexpected turn when a private chartered plane bound for Bangkok was ordered to return mid-flight.
On Monday at 4:30 PM, Rishiraj Sawant took off from Pune Airport in a private chartered jet, accompanied by two friends, heading towards Bangkok. However, this trip was not approved by his family, particularly his father, Tanaji Sawant. Despite his family's objections, Rishiraj remained adamant and went ahead with his journey.
When Tanaji Sawant failed to stop his son from leaving, he turned to legal and political means to bring him back. He filed a kidnapping complaint at Sinhagad Police Station, triggering an official response. He also reached out to Union MoS Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, requesting intervention.
Acting swiftly, the Civil Aviation Ministry instructed Air Traffic Control (ATC) to communicate with the aircraft's pilot. By the time the ATC received the directive, the private chartered flight had already crossed the Indian coastline and was flying over the Bay of Bengal. The ATC successfully contacted the pilot mid-air and ordered an immediate return to Pune.
Inside the plane, Rishiraj and his friends were unaware of the situation. They believed they were still heading toward Bangkok—until the pilot executed a U-turn mid-air.
The flight, which took off at 4:30 PM, landed back in Pune after approximately 4.5 hours. When Rishiraj looked out of the window, expecting to see Bangkok, he was stunned to realize that he had returned to Pune instead. Upon landing, Pune Police detained him for questioning but later released him and sent him home.
