Ajit Pawar plane crash news highlights: Zilla Parishad polls deferred to Feb 7 following Ajit Pawar’s death

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: In a statement posted on X, the ministry of civil aviation said that after the crash in Baramati that killed 5, including Ajit Pawar, response and investigative mechanisms were activated immediately.

“Ensuring a thorough, transparent, and time-bound inquiry remains a top priority. A team of three officers from AAIB, Delhi, and another team of three officers from the DGCA, Mumbai Regional Office, reached the crash site on 28 January. The Director General, AAIB, also arrived at the site the same day,” it said.

“The investigation is progressing expeditiously, and the black box of the ill-fated aircraft has been recovered.”

“The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) remains fully committed to completing the investigation within a defined timeframe, strictly in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and laid-down guidelines,” it added.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde have arrived in Baramati to attend the last rites of NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder have been recovered from the crash site in Baramati, the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Pawar (66) was killed on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune. Two pilots, a flight attendant and a personal security officer were also killed in the accident.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: Hundreds of people gathered outside the home of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in his native village of Katewadi on Thursday morning to offer their final respects to the leader who died in a plane crash.

Residents from Katewadi and nearby villages in Pune district, along with NCP workers, lined up at the gates, raising slogans such as "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe" and "Ajit Dada Parat Ya" (Ajit Dada please come back).

"A leader like him will not be born again," several mourners told PTI.

Ajit Pawar last rites updates: The last rites of Vidip Dilip Jadhav, the personal security officer (PSO) of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, were carried out by his family in their native village in Satara on Wednesday night.

His young son carried out the last rites.

Jadhav was travelling on the chartered aircraft that crash-landed in Baramati yesterday, killing all five people on board.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: Full state honours were accorded to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a charter plane crash in Baramati yesterday.

Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, and their sons, Parth and Jay, were present.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: Supporters of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar chanted ‘Ajit dada amar rahe’ as his mortal remains were taken to the Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites.

His son Jay Pawar, nephew Rohit Pawar and other members of the Pawar family were present.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar and party MP Supriya Sule have reached the Katewadi residence of Ajit Pawar for the final rites of the Maharashtra deputy chief minister.

Pawar died on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: The post-mortem examinations of the two pilots who were flying the chartered aircraft that crash-landed at Baramati airport on Wednesday morning have been completed, and their mortal remains were handed over to family members for last rites.

The post-mortems of pilot Captain Sumit Kapoor and co-pilot Captain Sambhiav Pathak were conducted at the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Government Medical College in Baramati, ANI news agency reported.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar reached the Vidya Pratishthan ground to attend the last rites of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

The aircraft carrying him, a Learjet, was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after a go-around due to poor visibility, but having finally received a clearance it did not give any read-back' to the ATC, and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the death of NCP leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.

She claimed that “all other agencies” have been “completely compromised”, and several opposition leaders, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, supported her call.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, saying the state has lost a “steadfast leader and an excellent colleague”.

Thackeray said the two had formed a “special bond as excellent colleagues” and spoke about Pawar’s open-hearted nature. He added that even after Pawar took a different political path, he “did not let our relationship break”.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: NCP (SP) MLA and Ajit Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar arrived at the Katewadi residence of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

On Thursday morning, the mortal remains of Ajit Pawar were taken from the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hospital in Baramati, where they were kept overnight, to his Katewadi village near Baramati.

Ajit Pawar funeral updates: Jay Pawar, the son of the late Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, at the family home in Katewadi.

The mortal remains of Ajit Pawar were brought to his residence in Katewadi ahead of his last rites on Thursday.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: The mortal remains of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar were taken to his home in Katewadi on Thursday ahead of the last rites.

Preparations are in progress at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati for the Nationalist Congress leader, who died in a plane crash on January 28 morning.

Supporters of Pawar gathered outside Ahilyabai Holkar Government Medical College to pay their final respects as his mortal remains were brought out.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: A wristwatch that Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was known to always wear became the only way to identify him at the plane crash site in Pune district, eyewitnesses told news agency PTI.

The wreckage of the Learjet 45, which had caught fire, was scattered across the area when villagers reached the spot. The crash site was less than 200 metres from the end of the tabletop runway at Baramati airport.

They said Pawar was recognised by his wristwatch.

Ajit Pawar death news updates: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced three-day mourning in the state as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

State government offices across Maharashtra remained closed on Wednesday.

Fadnavis said it is irreparable loss for Maharashtra. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said that an investigation into the crash will be conducted.

Ajit Pawar death news updates: The mortal remains of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar were taken to his home in Katewadi ahead of the last rites.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, MLA Rohit Pawar, and other members of the Pawar family have gathered at the residence.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Police registered an accidental death report (ADR) case in connection with the plane crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others in Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday, an official said.

"We have registered an accidental death report (ADR) with the Baramati taluka police station," a senior police officer from the Pune rural police told news agency PTI.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Arrangements are being made at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati for the funeral of NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Pawar died on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune. Two pilots, a flight attendant and a personal security officer were also killed in the accident.

Ajit Pawar death news updates: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday reached Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to offer their final respects to Ajit Pawar, who died after a charter plane made a crash landing in Baramati.

Maharashtra governor Acharya Devvrat was also there to pay his respects.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday appealed to people not to turn the death of his nephew, Ajit Pawar, into a political issue.

The senior leader said the crash was an accident and that “politics should not be brought into this”.

“This is a huge loss for Maharashtra. Maharashtra has lost a dynamic and decisive leader. Some people are saying there is some politics behind this, but it was an accident, and there is no politics involved. Politics should not be brought into this,” Pawar said in a video message.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu first suggested that the crash may have taken place during poor visibility.

A statement from the ministry said the weather was calm and that visibility stood at 3,000 metres. “We are trying to do, according to the protocol, what needs to be done to investigate the accident. The AAIB team is there... We should base our facts and our assessments on what they say,” he said.

Questions swirled about the firm that ran the aircraft, Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd, whose plane was involved in another crash in 2023 in Mumbai. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has yet to release its final findings on that case.

Ajit Pawar death news updates: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday reached Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to pay tribute to her cousin Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in Baramati.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde were also at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati to offer their respects to the late NCP leader.

Ajit Pawar plane crash live updates: Ajit Pawar’s last rites will be performed with full state honours at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati at 11am on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah will attend Pawar’s funeral in Baramati on Thursday, HT reported earlier.