Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's body was identified by his wristwatch after the aircraft carrying him crashed and burst into flames near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, a Maharashtra Police source told IANS.
Pawar (66) and four other persons were killed after the aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district, officials said.
The Learjet 46, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, crash-landed at the Baramati airport. There were five people onboard, including the crew members, according to the aviation regulator DGCA.
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A senior official told PTI that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will visit the crash site and investigate the accident.
According to Flight Radar, the flight took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and it disappeared from radar around 8.45 am. The aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.
Pawar was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.
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Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said that after the crash, there was a fire. "People onboard were immediately taken to the hospital," he said.
A source told PTI that the aircraft pilot had mentioned about poor visibility near the runway before the aircraft attempted the landing.
The Learjet 45 (LJ45), a mid-size business jet aircraft produced by the Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace, went off the runway while attempting to land at Baramati airport and burst into flames, the source said.
Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha, and two sons, Parth and Jay.
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His Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had contested the recent municipal corporation elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in alliance with his uncle Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders cutting across party lines from across the country expressed grief over Ajit Pawar's demise.
In a post on X, Murmu said Pawar will always be remembered for his special contribution to the development of Maharashtra, especially in the cooperative sector.
PM Modi said Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots level connect, and his death in the plane crash was untimely and very shocking.
Amit Shah, in his condolence message, said Ajit Pawar's demise is a personal loss not only for the NDA family but also for him.
Modi and Shah also spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to enquire about the incident.
Fadnavis described Ajit Pawar's tragic death as unbelievable, and said he had lost a good friend.