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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 a.m. Leaders cutting across the political spectrum will be present, the Nationalist Congress Party said. The plane crash occurred in the morning shortly after Ajit Pawar and four other persons took off from Mumbai.
Besides Pawar, his Personal Security Officer, an attendant, and two crew members (pilot in command and the first officer) were also killed. Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha, and two sons, Parth and Jay. The state government declared a public holiday on Wednesday and announced a three-day period of state mourning.
Pawar, who headed the NCP, 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 others killed in the tragedy were Captain Sumit Kapoor, who had a flying experience of 15,000 hours, co-pilot Capt. Shambhavi Pathak with 1,500 hours of flying, Personal Security Officer (PSO) Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali.
The government released a statement detailing the sequence of events that led to the crash and Pawar's death.
The aircraft, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance, it did not give any read-back to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Goa CM Pramod Sawant pay last respects to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in Baramati. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis lays a wreath and pays last respects to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in Baramati.
Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar & Rajya Sabha MP, pays last respects to her husband, who lost his life in a plane crash yesterday. Watch video:
#WATCH | Baramati | Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar & Rajya Sabha MP, pays last respects to her husband, who lost his life in a plane crash yesterday pic.twitter.com/4d33AMIk2a
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar & Rajya Sabha MP, mourns at the last rites of her husband.
#WATCH | Baramati | Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar & Rajya Sabha MP, mourns at the last rites of her husband pic.twitter.com/cuOP3Zt3gr
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's sons, Parth and Jay, perform the last rites rituals of their father, in Baramati
#WATCH | Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's sons, Parth and Jay, perform the last rites rituals of their father, in Baramati pic.twitter.com/ahESsl7i8a
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Baramati | Mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, wrapped in Tricolour, brought to Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites
#WATCH | Baramati | Mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, wrapped in Tricolour, brought to Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites pic.twitter.com/eI7t8vyKlW
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
The National Flag, draped over the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar during the State funeral, handed over to his son Jay Pawar before the last rites.
#WATCH | Baramati | The National Flag, draped over the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar during the State funeral, handed over to his son Jay Pawar before the last rites pic.twitter.com/lHGFkUdv4D
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Mortal remains of NCP Chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar arrive at Vidya Pratishthan ground for his last rites.
VIDEO | Mortal remains of NCP Chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar arrive at Vidya Pratishthan ground for his last rites.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2026
Ajit Pawar passed away yesterday after the aircraft he was travelling in crashed in Baramati, claiming the lives of all those on board.… pic.twitter.com/Choa2YnzaV
In a post on X, the Ministry of Civil Aviation wrote, "Following the unfortunate aircraft accident near Baramati, all requisite response and investigative mechanisms were activated immediately. Ensuring a thorough, transparent, and time-bound inquiry remains a top priority.A team of three officers from AAIB, Delhi, and another team of three officers from the DGCA, Mumbai Regional Office, reached the crash site on 28 January. The Director General, AAIB, also arrived at the site the same day. The investigation is progressing expeditiously, and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered."
"The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) remains fully committed to completing the investigation within a defined timeframe, strictly in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and laid-down guidelines. The investigation has been initiated in accordance with Rules 5 and 11 of the AAIB Rules, 2025," wrote the Ministry.
Following the unfortunate aircraft accident near Baramati, all requisite response and investigative mechanisms were activated immediately. Ensuring a thorough, transparent, and time-bound inquiry remains a top priority.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) January 29, 2026
A team of three officers from AAIB, Delhi, and another team…
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde arrive at Baramati to attend the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
VIDEO | Baramati: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde arrive at Baramati Airport to attend the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC)#Maharashtra… pic.twitter.com/cva9gL7lU9
Hundreds of mourners thronged the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at his native village Katewadi near here on Thursday morning to pay their last respects to the leader who died in a plane crash. Grief-stricken people from Katewadi and nearby villages in Pune district, joined by NCP workers, made a beeline outside the residence gates, chanting slogans such as "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe" and "Ajit Dada Parat Ya" (Ajit Dada please come back).
People in large numbers walk towards Vidya Pratishthan ground to take part in the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Baramati
The hearse van carrying the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar leaves from his Katewadi residence. His last rites will be performed at Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati. Watch Video
#AjitPawarDeath | The hearse van carrying the mortal remains of #AjitPawar leaves from his Katewadi residence. His last rites will be performed at Vidya Pratishthan ground.@ankit_tyagi01 reports from ground zero@vedikas pic.twitter.com/wIPm3H3jr7
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 29, 2026
Vidip Dilip Jadhav, the personal security officer (PSO) of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, was laid to rest with full state honours in his native village in Satara last night. Jadhav was also on board the aircraft that crash-landed in Baramati yesterday.
VIDEO | Maharashtra: Vidip Dilip Jadhav, the personal security officer (PSO) of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, was laid to rest with full state honours in his native village in Satara last night.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2026
Jadhav was also on board the aircraft that crash-landed in Baramati yesterday, killing… pic.twitter.com/x17PFkF7ka
NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar at Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM and his nephew, Ajit Pawar
#WATCH | Baramati | NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar at Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites of Maharashtra Deputy CM & his nephew, Ajit Pawar pic.twitter.com/TfVCkyACth
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
A pall of grief hung over the Safdarjung Enclave residence of Captain Shambhavi Pathak in New Delhi, curtains drawn and visitors moving in silence, as her mother, who was planning to get her married, grappled with the devastating loss of her daughter in a plane crash in Baramati that also had Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on board.
At Pathak's southwest Delhi home, her mother, a teacher at the Air Force Bal Bharati School, was inconsolable. Her father, a retired Army pilot, travelled to Pune following the tragedy. The couple, both in their late 40s, was planning their daughter's marriage, locals said. Pathak's younger brother, aged around 22, is in the Navy.
Co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak's grandmother Meera Pathak speaks on the phone
Photo Credit: (Photo: PTI)
Jay Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy CM late Ajit Pawar at their residence in Katewadi.
#WATCH | Baramati | Jay Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy CM late Ajit Pawar, at their residence in Katewadi pic.twitter.com/TxhNIQNNL3
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and party leader Aaditya Thackeray visited Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar's Baramati residence to offer condolences to his family following his demise.
Baramati, Maharashtra | Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and party leader Aaditya Thackeray visited Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar's Baramati residence to offer condolences to his family following his demise.
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar passed away yesterday when the… pic.twitter.com/sRoyMrPkac
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be among the leaders present at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's funeral, his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said.
In a post on X he wrote, "Today, the news of the loss of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and our senior NDA colleague Ajit Pawar ji in a tragic accident has left my heart deeply distressed. The way Ajit Pawar ji dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of society in Maharashtra over the past three and a half decades cannot be expressed in words. Whenever we met, he would engage in long discussions on numerous issues related to the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. His passing is a personal loss not only for the NDA family but also for me."
आज एक दुःखद हादसे में महाराष्ट्र के उपमुख्यमंत्री और NDA के हमारे वरिष्ठ साथी अजीत पवार जी को खो देने की सूचना से मन अत्यंत व्यथित है।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 28, 2026
अजीत पवार जी ने बीते साढ़े तीन दशकों में जिस प्रकार महाराष्ट्र के हर वर्ग के कल्याण के लिए खुद को समर्पित किया, उसे शब्दों में व्यक्त नहीं किया…
The death of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash cast a shadow on the conclusion of Maghi Ganesh festival, with processions being held without fanfare in Thane city. The festival, which commenced on January 22 at Pachpakhadi, was originally planned as a massive cultural celebration.
BJP district president Sandeep Lele stated that the conclusion of the festival was kept strictly simple to honour the memory of the departed leader.
In place of the typical grand musical processions, hundreds of devotees escorted the decorated chariot in a peaceful, silent march. The immersion took place at the Kopri Mithbunder Ghat in Thane East.
Pinki Mali, a flight attendant from Bhainsa village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, was among those killed in a plane crash that also claimed the life of NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and three others, officials and family sources said. Pinki had been living with her family in Mumbai and was on board the chartered aircraft that crashed. The news of her death brought deep mourning to her native village, with residents gathering to console her grieving family.
As news of the crash spread, a pall of gloom enveloped Bhainsa village and the surrounding area. Family members were inconsolable, while villagers remembered Pinki as a hardworking, warm, and promising young woman.
Ajit Pawar's mortal remains, which were at the Medical College in Baramati, were brought to the Vidya Pratishtan in a vehicle decked with flowers as people standing on both sides of the road got emotional and broke down.
A large number of people and party workers from Baramati as well across the state flocked to the town, synonymous with the politically powerful Pawar family, to pay tribute to the late leader.
Slogans like 'Ajit dada amar rahe" and "Ajit dada parat ya" (long live Ajit dada, Ajit dada come back) reverberated the air as the mortal remains were brought to the premises of the Vidya Pratishtan in his home turf of Baramati to allow people to pay their last respects to the NCP president.
Maharashtra mourns the loss of Ajit Pawar; Ahead of the NCP veteran's final journey, NDTV's @MickyGupta84 and @saurabhv99 bring ground details from the Ga-Di-Ma auditorium and the funeral ground in Baramati pic.twitter.com/1Q2thWaV2t
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 29, 2026
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's mortal remains were brought to an educational institute in Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday evening amid outpouring of emotions as grief-stricken NCP workers and local residents shouted slogans hailing the late leader.
Police registered an accidental death report (ADR) case in connection with the plane crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others in Baramati in Pune district.
As per procedure, the ADR will be handed over to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which will conduct a probe based on findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)'s inquiry. The AAIB, which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has already taken over the probe into the crash.
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