Who were other 4 people onboard Ajit Pawar's ill-fated plane
28 Jan 2026

A plane crash in Baramati, Pune, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, killed five people, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The aircraft was a Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures and was on its way from Mumbai to Baramati.

The flight took off from Mumbai airport at 8:10am and was scheduled to land in Baramati. However, it crashed about 35 minutes into the journey in a hilly terrain near Baramati.

Pawar's planned meetings in Baramati interrupted by crash
Flight details

Among the passengers were Mumbai Police constable Vidip Jadhav, who was serving as Pawar's Personnel Security Officer, and attendant Pinky Mali.

Captain Sumit Kapoor also died in the crash.

He was also listed as Pilot-in-Command, overseeing flight operations during critical moments such as takeoff and landing. According to The Times of India, he had over 16,000 hours of flying experience in several aircraft categories.

Pathak's aviation journey and qualifications
Pilot credentials

The pilot of the aircraft was Captain Shambhavi Pathak, a graduate of No. 1 Air Force School in Gwalior and a member of the Madhya Pradesh Flying Club.

Pathak was a graduate of the University of Mumbai with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics. She also trained at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy and worked as an Assistant Flying Instructor at the Madhya Pradesh Flying Club.

Crash investigation underway, condolences pour in
Aftermath

Speaking to the media, a senior official from VSR Aviation, VK Singh, said the aircraft had been maintained according to required standards.

"The aircraft was absolutely fit to the best of our knowledge. There was no technical failure. It was very well maintained," Singh said.

He suggested that poor weather and visibility conditions may have contributed to the crash.

"If a pilot cannot see the runway, he will carry out a missed approach," he said.