PUNE/BARAMATI: Authorities have officially confirmed the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a catastrophic aviation accident. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday morning at the Baramati Airport in Pune district, sending shockwaves through the country’s political landscape.
The Accident Timeline According to preliminary reports from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and local police, the incident occurred at approximately 8:45 AM. Ajit Pawar was traveling from Mumbai to Baramati on a private chartered aircraft—a Bombardier Learjet 45 (Registration VT-SSK)—operated by a private aviation firm. The flight had taken off from Mumbai at 8:10 AM without incident. However, minutes before the scheduled landing, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) received a distress signal regarding a “critical technical failure” involving the landing gear and engine stability.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing the aircraft approach the runway at an unusually steep angle. “The plane seemed to wobble violently before the left wing clipped the ground near the runway perimeter. It immediately cartwheeled and exploded into a ball of fire,” stated a local security official stationed at the airfield.
Casualties Confirmed Emergency fire tenders rushed to the spot within minutes, but the intensity of the blaze made immediate rescue impossible. All five occupants on board have perished. The deceased have been identified as:
- Ajit Pawar (Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra)
- Pilot-in-Command (Name withheld pending family notification)
- Co-Pilot
- Personal Security Officer (PSO)
- Personal Assistant
Political Shockwaves Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, was a towering figure in Maharashtra politics, holding the portfolios of Finance and Planning. His death creates an immediate and massive vacuum in the ruling Mahayuti coalition government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter), calling Pawar “a dynamic leader who understood the pulse of the grassroots.” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have cancelled all scheduled engagements and are rushing to the crash site.
Investigation Ordered Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has ordered an immediate investigation. A special team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is being flown from Delhi to Pune to decipher the Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) and ascertain the exact cause of the crash. The Baramati airport has been cordoned off, and all operations have been suspended until further notice.
