Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has died in a plane crash near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, January 28, 2026, when the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land.
The Learjet 45 business jet (registration VT-SSK), chartered from Mumbai, was approaching Baramati Airport around 8:45 a.m. when it crashed near the runway threshold and burst into flames, scattering wreckage across an open field. All five people on board — Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer, an attendant and the two crew members — were killed in the impact.
Eyewitnesses described the aircraft as unstable in its final moments, falling short of the runway just before the crash. Thick black smoke and fire engulfed the scene, with emergency responders rushing to the site.
Ajit Pawar, 66, was flying from Mumbai to Baramati to participate in local campaign events for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash, including technical or weather factors.
News of Pawar’s death has triggered widespread shock and mourning across Maharashtra and national political circles, with prominent leaders expressing condolences.