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| Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar pays tribute to the mortal remains at Vidya Prathisthan College in Baramati, Pune |
The Bombardier Learjet 45, operated by VSR Ventures, went down around 8:18 a.m. while attempting to land in poor visibility conditions. The aircraft was carrying Pawar, two pilots, a flight attendant, and a personal security officer.
Funeral with State Honours
Pawar's last rites will be conducted with full state honors at 11 a.m. Thursday at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, his party announced. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are expected to attend, along with leaders from across the political spectrum.
The Maharashtra government declared a three-day period of state mourning following the tragedy.
Investigation Underway
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has deployed a forensic team to the crash site to probe the accident. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), visibility at the time was approximately three kilometers — below the five-kilometer minimum required for the airstrip.
The pilots had aborted an initial landing attempt due to difficulty sighting the runway before the fatal second approach, the DGCA said.
Police registered an accidental death report, which will be handed over to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department for further inquiry based on AAIB findings.
Victims Identified
The crash claimed the lives of:
- Ajit Pawar, 66, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
- Captain Sumit Kapoor, pilot
- Captain Sambhiav Pathak, co-pilot
- Pinky Mali, flight attendant from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Vidip Jadhav, Personal Security Officer from Thane
Post-mortem examinations were completed Wednesday evening, and the bodies were released to family members.
Political Legacy
Pawar, nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, represented Baramati for eight consecutive terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He split from his uncle's Nationalist Congress Party in 2023, leading a faction that allied with the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government.
Known for his rustic speaking style and direct manner, Pawar served multiple terms as Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and held the finance portfolio at the time of his death. He is survived by his mother Ashatai Pawar, wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, and sons Parth and Jay Pawar.
Safety Concerns Raised
The Baramati airstrip, primarily used for flight training, lacks dedicated navigational aids and meteorological services despite frequent VIP traffic, aviation sources said. Air traffic control support is provided by flying school personnel rather than professional controllers.
The Indian Air Force has deployed a team to provide essential ATC and meteorological services at the site to support ongoing operations.
Community in Mourning
Thousands of mourners flooded the streets of Baramati Wednesday evening as Pawar's body was brought to Vidya Pratishthan. Shops shuttered across the town as residents gathered to pay respects to their long-serving representative.
"Baramati mourns the untimely and sudden death of its son," said one local party worker. "One of the strongest political pillars of the Pawar fortress is lost."
NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar called his nephew's death "a big shock for Maharashtra" and urged against politicizing the tragedy after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggested the incident warranted investigation.
"It was an accident," the elder Pawar told reporters. "I request not to bring politics into it."
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