Krishna Kapoor, widow of Raj Kapoor, dead
Mumbai, Oct 1: Krishna Kapoor, the widow of the legendary Bollywood actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, died here on Monday, said a family member. She was 87.
Krishna, who married Raj Kapoor in May 1946, is survived by her sons Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, and daughters Ritu Nanda and Rima Kapoor-Jain.
"Regret to announce I lost my mother early this morning. She died peacefully," Randhir said in a statement.
Her granddaughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni shared a throwback image on Instagram, and wrote: "I love you- I will always love you - RIP dadi."
Riddhima's father Rishi Kapoor is not currently in the country as he left for the US just last week for a medical treatment.
The film industry took to Twitter to express sorrow over his mother's demise.
Veteran actor Anupam Kher tweeted: "Deeply saddened to learn about the sad demise of Krishna Raj Kapoorji. She was one of the most dignified and affectionate ladies that I met.
"May her soul rest in peace. My condolences to the entire Kapoor and Nanda family. Om Shanti."
Actress Soha Ali Khan recounted few, but memorable moments of interaction with the Kapoor matriarch, who was always elegantly dressed.
"She was an incredible personality full of life and passion and with never a hair out place! She will be missed greatly. My deepest condolences to the family," Soha wrote.
Actress Raveena Tandon expressed condolences to the entire Kapoor family as "an era passes away" with Krishna Raj Kapoor's demise.
Preeti Sharma Menon, National Executive Member, Aam Aadmi Party, said: "For many old timers of our suburb, she will always be the graceful First Lady of Chembur".
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Baramati plane crash: Rohit Pawar alleges attempts to shield VSR Ventures
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday alleged that someone was trying to save VSR Ventures in connection with the plane crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, and claimed that the AAIB preliminary probe vindicated the doubts earlier raised by him.
He also accused VSR company of indulging in several grave lapses in the past.
The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Pawar and four others.
In its 22-page preliminary report on the VSR Venture's Learjet plane crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level. It also flagged about fading marks on the runway and presence of loose gravels on the runway surface.
Pawar said, "I am not against VSR or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Ajitdada was travelling in a VSR aircraft. Unless we go into the depth of every aspect, we will not know the truth. But someone is trying to save this company. The doubts we had raised have been proven correct in the inquiry report."
He also claimed that the AAIB report contained discrepancies, including mentioning Baramati as a district, and questioned how seriously the probe had been conducted.
Pawar, who has been regularly holding press conferences to raise issues concerning the Baramati plane crash, also contested the report's conclusion that the aircraft hit trees before crashing.
"The report says the aircraft struck trees and then fell. But there are no trees at that spot. There is only a small bush which the aircraft did not even touch. What is stated in the report about hitting trees is incorrect," he said.
Pawar further alleged that VSR Ventures had displayed irresponsibility on multiple occasions, citing an incident involving the then chief minister Eknath Shinde's Davos visit on January 20, 2023.
He claimed that the aircraft carrying Shinde had entered Iranian and Iraqi airspace without overflight permission, following which fighter jets from the two countries allegedly warned of action, forcing a change in route from Bahrain to Zurich.
"There have been several such grave lapses by VSR," he said.
Pawar demanded to know from where VSR Ventures derived its "audacity", and sought details about its investors and officials, though he added that he was not personally concerned with who they were.
Drawing a comparison, he said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken over the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death within two days, whereas a month had passed since the Baramati crash without a similar action.
He claimed that VSR Ventures had two directors and three shareholders, and that there were eight common names across two related companies.
He further alleged that the owner of VSR was related to the Union Civil Aviation Minister and questioned why the company, though registered in Delhi, had made high-value investments in Jubilee Hills (upscale area in Hyderabad) at rates allegedly Rs 17 crore above the market price.
The MLA representing the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district also raised concerns about the legal and institutional framework of the AAIB under the 2017 rules, claiming it was neither a statutory nor an autonomous body and remained answerable to the secretary and the minister, besides being attached to the DGCA.
"There is no independent investigative agency," he alleged.
