India's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra—the country's wealthiest state—died along with four others aboard a Learjet 45 chartered by VSR Ventures that crashed and caught fire.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane crash and burst into flames, followed by four to five explosions. The intense blaze prevented any rescue efforts. Video footage from the scene showed smoke billowing above the scattered wreckage in an open field.
There were no survivors in the accident. The five deceased were Ajit Pawar (Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra), Vithip Jadhav (personal security officer), Pinky Mali (flight attendant), Captain Sumit Kapoor (pilot), and Captain Shampavi Pathak (pilot).
Pawar was traveling from Mumbai to Baramati, his family's political stronghold, to campaign for local elections. The plane attempted an emergency landing and crashed about 250 kilometers from its destination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X expressing deep shock and sorrow over Pawar's passing. He described Pawar as an important political ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party under his leadership.
Maharashtra state officially declared three days of mourning, lowering flags to half-mast across the state, closing government offices and schools, and canceling all public events to honor the late Deputy Chief Minister.
VSR Ventures director V.K. Singh stated the aircraft was 100% safe and the pilots were highly skilled. The exact cause of the crash during the landing approach remains unknown as investigators continue their probe into the tragedy.