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Maharashtra Mourns Ajit Pawar: Leaders Pay Respects After Fatal Plane Crash

Senior Maharashtra politician and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a charter plane crash near Baramati airport, claiming four other lives. Top state leaders, including CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, paid their last respects at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun an investigation into the crash, seizing documents from the aircraft operator. The state government announced a public holiday and three days of official mourning, with Pawar's last rites to be conducted with full state honours.

Key Points: Ajit Pawar Dies in Plane Crash; Fadnavis, Shinde Pay Respects

  • Ajit Pawar killed in Baramati crash
  • AAIB launches investigation
  • State holiday & 3-day mourning declared
  • Last rites with full state honours
  • PM Modi calls Sharad Pawar
3 min read

Fadnavis, Shinde pay last respects to late Ajit Pawar in Baramati; AAIB begins probe

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar killed in Baramati plane crash. CM Fadnavis declares state mourning as AAIB begins probe into the accident.

"The mortal remains of Ajit Pawar will be kept at Vidya Pratishthan ground for the public to pay their last respects today. - Kiran, Trustee"

Baramati, January 28

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday arrived at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to pay their last respects to the late Ajit Pawar, who died in a crash landing of a charter plane in Baramati this morning.

Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat was also present to pay his respects.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, along with NCP working president Praful Patel, Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare, and State Minister Hasan Mushrif, reached Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to pay their last respects to the late Deputy Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, as part of the investigation into the crash, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) officials were present at the office of VSR Ventures Private Limited, which operates the ill-fated charter plane. The AAIB team was seen placing boxes of documents into vehicles.

Sunetra Pawar broke down while meeting members of the Pawar family after the untimely demise of her husband in a charter plane crash that claimed four more lives.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, late Ajit Pawar's cousin, was also seen deeply emotional as family members gathered to mourn the loss.

Ajit Pawar, 66, died this morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

The crash occurred around 8.48 am, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have dispatched probe teams to the site of the mishap to investigate.

Pawar was on his way to Baramati from Mumbai to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.

Ajit Pawar's last rites will be performed with full state honours, the Maharashtra General Administration Department (Protocol) informed on Wednesday.

Kiran, Trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, said that Pawar's last rites will be conducted tomorrow at 11 am. "The mortal remains of Ajit Pawar will be kept at Vidya Pratishthan ground for the public to pay their last respects today. The last rites will be conducted tomorrow at 11 am," Kiran told ANI.

Moreover, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a state holiday and three days of mourning following the demise of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. During the three-day mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings across Maharashtra where it is regularly hoisted.

No government entertainment programmes will be organised during this period. All state government offices across Maharashtra will remain closed on Wednesday, January 28.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ajit Pawar's uncle, veteran politician Sharad, and expressed his condolences.

Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as deputy chief minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
This is absolutely heartbreaking. To lose a leader and four others in a plane crash is a terrible tragedy. The AAIB investigation must be thorough and transparent. Safety audits for smaller charter planes are urgently needed across India.
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Priya S
Om Shanti. A sad end for a leader who served Maharashtra for decades. Seeing Fadnavis and Shinde ji paying respects together shows that in moments of grief, politics takes a backseat. My thoughts are with the families of all the victims, not just the VIPs.
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Aman W
Respectfully, while the loss of life is tragic, the immediate declaration of a state holiday for a political figure's death sets a precedent. What about the common citizens who die in accidents every day? The focus should be on improving aviation safety for everyone.
K
Kavya N
Can't imagine the pain of Sharad Pawar ji, losing a nephew like this. And Sunetra Pawar breaking down... it's too much. He was campaigning for local elections, truly a grassroots leader till the end. Baramati has lost its son.
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Michael C
The report mentions two pilots and a flight attendant also died. Their families deserve equal sympathy and support. Hope the investigation looks into maintenance records and pilot training protocols for these charter operators. A preventable tragedy should not repeat.

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