Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash Near Baramati

PTI, BARAMATI, JAN 28, 2026: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday.

Pawar had taken off from Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in the day in Pune district for the February 5 zilla parishad elections. The dead include two crew members, an official said.

According to Flight Radar, the Learjet aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and disappeared from radar around 8.45 am. The aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.

There were five passengers, including Pawar, his personal security officer and an attendant, along with two crew members (pilot in command and the first officer) on board when the aircraft crashed, a DGCA official said.

Superintendent of Police, Sandip Singh Gill, said that after the crash, there was a fire. “People on board were immediately taken to the hospital,” he said.

A team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reached the Baramati crash site to launch a forensic probe into the aircraft accident later in the day, a senior official has said. “The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the work,” the AAIB official told PTI. The official, however, declined to share further details.

Earlier in the day, AAIB, which has the mandate to investigate all accidents and serious incidents involving aircraft with a gross weight of 2,250 kg or turbojet aircraft, was handed the probe into the crash.

Baramati airfield does not have an instrumental landing system – a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to an aircraft, allowing it to approach a runway at night, during bad weather and poor visibility.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders cutting across party lines from all over the country expressed grief over Ajit Pawar’s demise. In a post on X, the President said Pawar will always be remembered for his special contribution to the development of Maharashtra, especially in the cooperative sector. Prime Minister Modi said Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots-level connect and his death in the plane crash was untimely and very shocking.

BARAMATI, JAN 28, 2026: The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, killed in a plane crash, will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati, Pune district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. Leaders cutting across the political spectrum will be present, the Nationalist Congress Party said.

Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha, and two sons, Parth and Jay. His Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had contested the recent municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in alliance with his uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP).

Amit Shah, in his condolence message, said Ajit Pawar’s demise is a personal loss not only for the NDA family but also for him. Modi and Shah also spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to enquire about the incident.

According to an eyewitness, the ill-fated aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar appeared “a bit unstable in the air” and exploded the moment it crashed on the ground. Another person who witnessed the incident said that after the crash, the aircraft burst into flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts.

The Maharashtra government declared a three-day state mourning till January 30, 2026, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings. There will be no official entertainment during the mourning period.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar visited the Baramati airport and also the medical college where Ajit Pawar’s body was taken from the crash site. The NCP founder’s daughter Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha member from Baramati, appeared inconsolable over her cousin’s tragic demise.

An official statement said Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield and traffic information is provided by the instructors or pilot from the flying training organisations at Baramati. “As per the statement of the person manning the ATC, the following are the sequence of events: On 28th January 2026, the aircraft VI-SSK first came in contact with Baramati at 0818 IST. The aircraft’s next call was at 30 NM inbound to Baramati and they were released by Pune approach. They were advised to descend in Visual Meteorological Conditions at the pilot’s discretion. The crew enquired about the winds and visibility and they were informed that the winds were calm and visibility was around 3,000 metres,” the statement said.