A senior Indian politician is among five people killed after a private jet crashed near Baramati in Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, January 28.
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar died when the Learjet 45 he was travelling in went down while attempting a second landing near Baramati airport. Four others, including two pilots and members of his security team, also lost their lives.
The aircraft, operated by private firm VSR, departed Mumbai at 8:10 a.m. and disappeared from radar around 8:45 a.m. Officials said the jet lost control moments before touchdown and plunged roughly 100 feet short of the runway, bursting into flames on impact. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, but all five occupants were declared dead within minutes.
Pawar, 66, had been travelling to attend a series of public meetings ahead of next month’s local body elections. Images from the crash site showed twisted wreckage, smoke and ambulances transporting victims to nearby hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pawar’s death as “shocking and saddening,” praising him as a grassroots leader with a deep understanding of administration and a strong commitment to serving the people of Maharashtra. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he was “deeply pained,” calling Pawar’s passing a personal loss and highlighting his decades of dedication to public welfare.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pawar remained committed to Maharashtra’s development throughout his career, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the tragedy profoundly distressing and an untimely loss of a seasoned politician.
Ajit Pawar served multiple terms as deputy chief minister under different administrations, including those led by Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. In 2023, he led a split in the Nationalist Congress Party and later joined the NDA government as deputy chief minister.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
