Breaking: Ajit Pawar Reportedly Dead in Baramati Plane Crash

A privately operated chartered aircraft carrying senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reportedly crashed on Wednesday morning while attempting to land at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft veered off the runway during landing and crashed, triggering a fire. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said five fatalities have been confirmed so far. Visuals from the site showed debris scattered across the area, with flames and thick smoke rising from the wreckage.

The aircraft—identified as a Learjet 45 with registration VT-SSK—had been chartered from Mumbai and was carrying six passengers, including Pawar, along with security personnel and the flight crew, officials said. Pawar was en route to Baramati to address four public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections.

While there has been no official statement yet from Pawar’s office or the state government, Kiran Gujar, a close aide present at a local hospital, told reporters that all six occupants, including Ajit Pawar, were brought dead. Authorities have not independently confirmed this claim.

Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware told Hindustan Times that the jet “was attempting a landing when it went off the side of the runway and crashed.” Emergency response teams were rushed to the spot, and rescue and recovery operations were undertaken immediately.

Further details regarding the exact cause of the accident and the final status of the passengers are awaited as investigators continue to assess the scene.