(Image source from: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
It was completely an accident, stated a visibly upset Sharad Pawar, denying any foul play in the plane accident that took the life of his nephew Ajit Pawar on Wednesday morning. The airplane carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a Bombardier Learjet 45 managed by private company VSR Aviation, was traveling from Mumbai to his hometown of Baramati in Pune district when it crashed and caught fire in an open area near the runway at around 8:48 am. Eyewitnesses reported that the plane was only about 100 meters from the runway when it went down. He was heading to Baramati to participate in campaigning for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
The 66-year-old's personal bodyguard and an assistant, along with two crew members, were also on board during the accident, as stated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. "There’s no foul play involved; it was simply an accident. Maharashtra has faced a tremendous loss with Ajit Pawar's death. A skilled leader has departed from us today. Maharashtra has lost a remarkable figure today. This loss cannot be replaced," Sharad Pawar, Ajit’s uncle, remarked during his first response to the tragedy.
Ajit Pawar separated from his uncle to team up with the BJP in 2023, which resulted in a division within the Nationalist Congress Party. However, the two factions of NCP recently united to compete in the municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. "Not everything is in our control. I feel powerless. Weeping might seem undignified. Some events have no political motivations, and I have made my view clear on this. There’s no foul play involved; it was merely an accident. Maharashtra and all of us will have to carry this sorrow forever," the 85-year-old leader continued. After the news of Ajit Pawar's passing emerged, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for a Supreme Court-led investigation into the incident, claiming that "all other agencies” have been “totally compromised," with support for her request from several opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Sharad Pawar rejected those accusations.
"A viewpoint emerged from Kolkata suggesting that this event has some political elements tied to it. However, that is not the case. There is no political aspect involved. It was merely an accident. I urge people not to involve politics in this matter," the Senior Pawar stated. VK Singh, the owner of VSR Aviation, mentioned that the plane was "very well maintained," dismissing any possibility of technical issues. "There were no issues with the aircraft. As far as we are aware, there was no technical malfunction," he informed the press. The government issued a statement outlining the events that occurred leading to the crash and the death of Pawar. The plane was given the go-ahead to land in Baramati on Wednesday morning after circling due to low visibility, but after receiving final clearance, it did not confirm back to air traffic control (ATC) and shortly after caught fire at the runway’s edge.
In aviation terms, a go-around is a common practice where a pilot stops the landing process and climbs to set up for another landing attempt. It is used when it is not safe to land due to reasons like bad weather, an unstable approach, or runway traffic. It is a safety procedure rather than an urgent response.
In aviation, readback is an important safety practice where a pilot repeats key parts of a message or instruction from Air Traffic Control (ATC). This serves as a "closed-loop" communication system, confirming that the crew understood the ATC's instructions correctly.
The plane was attempting to land during low visibility, stated Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to reporters in Pune. Teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have arrived to investigate the incident. Initial information indicates that visibility was low during the aircraft’s landing attempt," said Minister Naidu. Ajit Pawar's funeral will be conducted with full state honors. He was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, holding the position for six different terms across various administrations. He had served as a deputy chief minister under the leadership of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde. He is survived by his spouse, Sunetra Pawar, and their two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
