
The aircraft, which had departed from Mumbai, crash-landed at the airport in Pawar’s constituency of Baramati, its intended destination, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined.
Along with Pawar, two members of his staff and two crew members were killed. Visuals from the site showed the wreckage engulfed in smoke and flames.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow on X (formerly Twitter), saying he was “saddened” by the news and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He also paid tribute to Pawar in a separate post.
Ajit Pawar, the nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was a senior political figure in Maharashtra. He served multiple terms as deputy chief minister and later established his own party, which was officially recognized as the NCP by India’s Election Commission, reports UNB.
His party was part of Maharashtra’s governing alliance alongside Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.