The plane crash in Baramati that claimed the life of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar also killed two Delhi-based pilots, a flight attendant and a police head constable serving as his personal security officer (PSO), officials said on Wednesday.
The Learjet 45 aircraft with five people onboard crashed during a second landing attempt on Wednesday morning. (HT )
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The Learjet 45 aircraft –– operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd and registered as VT-SSK –– with five people onboard crashed during a second landing attempt on Wednesday morning. Track latest in Ajit Pawar plane crash here
The plane was flown by Sumit Kapur (62) from Delhi’s Rajouri Garden and co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak (25) from Safdarjung Enclave .
Sumit Kapur
Kapur, who had more than four decades of flying experience, is survived by his wife Cheena, and their son Shiv and daughter Sanya. “Sumit was extremely passionate about flying,” the family’s neighbour said on anonymity. “He flew several politicians and celebrities in the last two years... He was very experienced and did not have any airs about flying famous people.”
Shambhavi Pathak
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Shock hung over the home of Pathak in Safdarjung Enclave, where the family had moved in only three days ago. “The mother has locked herself in a room. Her father retired from the Indian Air Force. He left for Pune in the morning after getting to know about the incident,” said PP Singh, a member of the colony’s RWA.
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Shock hung over the home of Pathak in Safdarjung Enclave, where the family had moved in only three days ago. “The mother has locked herself in a room. Her father retired from the Indian Air Force. He left for Pune in the morning after getting to know about the incident,” said PP Singh, a member of the colony’s RWA.
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According to her LinkedIn profile, Pathak was a trained commercial pilot with experience in operating business jets. She was working as a First Officer with VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd, where she had been employed since August 2022.
Pinky Mali
In Mumbai’s Prabhadevi, the family of flight attendant Pinky Mali (29) is struggling to come to terms with her death. “Our world collapsed when we heard the news,” her father Shivkumar Mali said. Her parents and two siblings first heard about the fatal crash on the TV at 10.30am –– around two hours after the crash in Baramati.
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Mali last spoke to her parents on Tuesday night when she said that she would be going to Baramati with Pawar on Wednesday, and proceed thereafter to Nanded, her father said.
“I have been associated with the NCP for over 30 years, and recently she even made me speak to Ajit dada on the phone,” he said. According to the family, this was her fourth trip with Pawar within a week.
Vidip Jadhav
The family of Vidip Jadhav, a police head constable and Pawar’s PSO, similarly learnt about the crash on the TV.
“It was around 9am when we heard loud cries from next door. Only his mother and son were at home then, as his wife Sandhya had gone to her maternal home in Panvel,” said Jadhav’s neighbour Chandrakant Sane in Thane’s Kalwa area. “When we went there, we saw the news of the plane crash on television and realised Vidip was also among the victims. Soon after, local police officers arrived and took his mother and son to Baramati.”
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Sane said Jadhav’s mother was in disbelief. “She was unable to accept that her only son was no more and kept frantically switching television channels, hoping for some news that he was alive,” he added.
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.
Leena Raghunath Baliga (byline: Linah Baliga) is Associate Editor with nearly two decades of experience in journalism,and has earlier worked with TOI, DNA and Mumbai Mirror specialising in civic affairs, urban governance and political reporting. Based in Mumbai, she has looked into the functioning of civic administration, public policy and governance, with a particular focus on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), urban infrastructure, housing, redevelopment and city planning. Over the years, she has consistently reported on issues that directly impact citizens, including municipal administration, public health, BEST, environmental concerns, major infrastructure projects and state government policies affecting urban development. Her reporting combines on-ground reporting, making complex civic and governance issues accessible to readers while ensuring accountability in civic administration. She has extensively covered political developments that shape urban policy. Her work has also focused on redevelopment policies, affordable housing and the implementation of major infrastructure projects across Mumbai.She continues to chronicle the evolving and changing landscape of Asia's richest municipal corporation. When she isn't chasing stories or poring over civic documents, she enjoys dabbling in art and unwinding with music. An avid rock 'n' roll enthusiast, she has an anachronistic taste in music, with a playlist that happily skips across decades, filled with timeless classics.
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Home/India News/2 Delhi-based pilots, security officer: Who were the 4 others killed with Ajit Pawar
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