Sharad Pawar's grandnephew visits home of pilot Shambhavi Pathak, who was killed in Ajit Pawar plane crash

Captain Shambhavi Pathak, one of the five casualties in the crash that also left Ajit Pawar dead, was the First Officer on the Mumbai to Baramati flight.

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar's grand-nephew Rohit Pawar visited the residence of Captain Shambhavi Pathak, who died along with Maharashtra's former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash in Baramati, and said he paid tribute to her, expressing his "deepest sympathies for the profound grief that has befallen their family".

Rohit Pawar, who is also distantly related to Ajit Pawar, visited Pathak's residence in Delhi and met her family, offering them 'solace'.(File Image/X/@RRPSpeaks)

Captain Shambhavi Pathak, one of the five casualties in the aviation accident that also left Ajit Pawar dead, was the First Officer on the Mumbai to Baramati flight that crashed in the morning hours of January 28.

She was piloting Bombardier Aerospace's Learjet 45, VT SSK, with Captain Sumit Kapoor.

Rohit Pawar, who is also distantly related to Ajit Pawar, visited Pathak's residence in Delhi and met her family, offering them 'solace'.

"I visited the Delhi residence of Captain Shambhavi Pathak, the young co-pilot who tragically lost her life in the Baramati plane crash, to offer my condolences and inquire about her family's well-being. Her father, who comes from an army background, and her mother, who has an academic background, are experiencing immense grief," Rohit said in a post on X on Monday.

Rohit Pawar is an NCP(SP) MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed. He stood firm by his grand-uncle, Sharad Pawar, when the Nationalist Congress Party found itself in crisis after Ajit Pawar split to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party back in 2023.

Following the funeral of Ajit Pawar in Baramati, Rohit Pawar had posted a "heartfelt tribute" to all those who lost their lives in the plane crash, along with the former deputy CM.

"The pain of losing a dear one cannot be expressed in words. No matter how much consolation anyone offers, recovering from the shock of losing someone so close remains extremely difficult. The Pawar family stands with the families of all four in their grief, and we will always remain by your side!" Rohit affirmed.

In a separate post on Monday, Rohit Pawar took note of the impact that Ajit Pawar's death has left on the lives of so many people.

He said that those meeting him, to share their memories of Ajit Pawar, are not just those associated with NCP or politics, but also ordinary citizens.

Rohit Pawar further stated that while as a family member, he always knew about "Ajitdada's greatness, I am now experiencing his true stature anew".

"These people who loved Ajitdada have been orphaned today, and the incredibly difficult responsibility of providing them with support has fallen upon our generation. We will certainly fulfill this responsibility to the best of our ability, but the question remains: who and how will fill the enormous void created by Ajitdada's absence?" he added.

Notably, Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra three days after the NCP leader's death. She became the first woman to hold the office in the state.