Wreckage of the chartered plane carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar lies mangled and burnt after the aircraft crashed during landing near Baramati airport, in Pune district, Maharashtra, on Wednesday. Photo: PTI
LIVE: Baramati plane crash: AAIB team begins probe; Pawar says no conspiracy
Ajit Pawar's funeral will take place on Thursday; PM Modi, Shah likely to attend
The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, killed in a plane crash, will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati, Pune district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the funeral, which will be held at Vidya Pratishthan ground at 11 am. Leaders cutting across the political spectrum will be present, the Nationalist Congress Party said. The plane crash occurred in the morning shortly after Ajit Pawar and four other persons took off from Mumbai.
Besides Pawar, his Personal Security Officer, an attendant, and two crew members (pilot in command and the first officer) were also killed.
Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a member of the Rajya Sabha, and two sons, Parth and Jay.
The state government declared a public holiday on Wednesday and announced a three-day period of state mourning.
What happened in Baramati?
Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board an aircraft were killed after it crashed near the Baramati airport. Pawar had left Mumbai in the morning to address four rallies in Pune district on the day of the February 5 zilla parishad elections. An official said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team will visit the crash site and investigate the accident.
According to Flight Radar, the Learjet aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am and disappeared from radar around 8.45 am. The aircraft crashed at 8.50 am, a police official said.
Pawar is survived by wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha MP, and two sons, Parth and Jay. He was the nephew of Rajya Sabha MP and former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar.
Read updates below.
Live Updates
- 28 Jan 2026 8:45 PM IST
AAIB starts probe into Ajit Pawar's fatal plane crash in Baramati
A specialised team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reached the plane-crash site in Baramati in Pune district of Maharashtra on Wednesday (January 28) evening to initiate a forensic probe into the tragic accident that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others earlier in the day.
The investigation is expected to focus on the technical factors that led to the crash of the Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, during its second attempt to land at Baramati table-top air strip.
"The investigation team has reached the (crash) site. They are on the job," an AAIB official said on the condition of anonymity and did not divulge anything further.
- 28 Jan 2026 8:37 PM IST
BJP slams Mamata for remarks on Ajit Pawar’s plane crash
The BJP has slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash, saying she was doing “petty politics” when one should stand by the bereaved family of the NCP leader.
“She has lost humanity,” Biplab Deb, the BJP co-in-charge for elections in West Bengal, told PTI Videos.
Demanding an apex court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar, Mamata has alleged that “all other agencies” have been “completely compromised”. Claiming that truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, the TMC supremo said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible.
Reacting to Mamata’s remarks, Deb said, “This is not the time to do politics, but to stand by the bereaved family members of Pawar.” Ajit Pawar’s family, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, have not said “anything like that”, the BJP leader said, adding, “They have not indulged in such petty politics.” The Maharashtra deputy CM's uncle and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, has asserted that the plane crash was an accident and “should not be politicised”.
Deb said Mamata should be “ashamed” of the things happening in her own state.
“In her state, several labourers lost their lives due to a fire. She didn’t even call their families, forget about her visiting them,” he told PTI Videos. “She has lost her humanity,” the BJP leader charged.
Lashing out at the TMC supremo, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Instead of making insensitive remarks on the unfortunate demise of Pawar, Banerjee must focus on ensuring justice and timely relief for the fire victims’ families in West Bengal.”
Flaying Banerjee, Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia accused her of trying to mislead people, and demanded she stop indulging in such type of politics. “Her remarks that came today are completely misleading and politically motivated. I request Mamata Banerjee to stop misleading people by making such statements,” he told PTI Videos.
“She should first think about her state where law and order has completely deteriorated. No Sanatani is safe there (in West Bengal),” the BJP MP charged.
- 28 Jan 2026 8:37 PM IST
Ajit Pawar death: Sharad Pawar refutes Mamata's conspiracy charge, says no politics in it
Veteran politician Sharad Pawar on Wednesday (January 28) took an apparent dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her allegation of a conspiracy in the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a charter plane crash in Baramati earlier in the day.
The 85-year-old supremo of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) said the crash that led to the death of his nephew and four others was an accident and shouldn't be politicised.
Addressing reporters in Baramati, the senior Pawar said Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader, and this loss is irreparable.
"Not all things are in our hands," he added. "A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it," Pawar said.
- 28 Jan 2026 7:36 PM IST
NIA conducts searches in Kerala to probe criminal activities of banned terror outfit PFI
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday seized several incriminating materials during a series of searches in Kerala, as part of its probe in a case of jihadi criminal conspiracy and acts of the proscribed unlawful outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).
A total of nine places were searched across the state, leading to the seizure of several digital devices and documents, besides other incriminating materials linked to the PFI and its associate/affiliate organisations, a statement issued by the NIA said.
The case, registered by NIA in September 2022, relates to PFI's criminal conspiracy and acts to spread the idea of violent jihad in India with the aim of dismembering and taking over the country by establishing Islamic rule by 2047, the probe agency said.
As per NIA investigations, PFI leaders and cadres had conspired to create a communal divide among the people through radicalisation of impressionable youth, it said.
The outfit was engaged in actively training such youth in handling weapons and was also raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence as part of its anti-India conspiracy, the statement said.
Investigations into the case have further revealed that PFI had established various wings and units, such as 'reporters wing,' 'physical and arms training wing' and 'service teams or hit teams,' to promote its nefarious agenda, the NIA said.
The terrorist outfit was using its various campuses, facilities and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of physical education, yoga training, etc., it added.
The 'hit teams' were being trained for the elimination of 'targets,' the statement said, adding that "investigation in the case is continuing as part of NIA's committed efforts to combat all such jihadi activities in the country."
- 28 Jan 2026 6:43 PM IST
Cash withdrawals from ATMs decline in 2025
Cash withdrawals across ATMs in the country showed signs of decline in 2025, a report by CMS Info Systems, a firm managing ATMs said on Wednesday (January 28).
However, the average ticket size of withdrawals seems to be increasing, it added.
According to the report, monthly average cash dispensed per ATM in 2025 stood at Rs 1.21 crore across the country against Rs 1.30 crore in 2024-25.
It can be noted that the last year has seen a higher propensity to use digital payments among people, with monthly volumes hitting new highs.
The CMS Consumption Report for 2025 said the monthly average ticket size of ATM withdrawals increased by 4.5 per cent to Rs 5,835 in 2025 from Rs 5,586 in 2024.
ATMs in Karnataka had the highest withdrawals at Rs 1.73 crore per machine, while the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir reported the lowest at Rs 83 lakh, as per the report.
The company said the semi-urban and rural areas showed more tendency to withdraw cash from ATMs at Rs 1.30 crore per machine in 2025 against Rs 1.18 crore in metro areas and Rs 1.11 crore in urban pockets. - 28 Jan 2026 6:39 PM IST
TN CM Stalin flags off pink buses for women in Chennai
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin flagged off pink-coloured special free buses exclusively for women in five major routes in Chennai on Wednesday (January 28).
This initiative is part of the ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme which first began in May 2021 to provide free travel for women. The new buses are easily identifiable by their pink colour, a feature previously introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in August 2022 to help passengers distinguish free buses.
In the first phase of this dedicated rollout, 10 buses have been deployed across five major routes, including Vallalar Nagar to Ennore and Broadway to Perumbakkam, with two buses allocated per route.
In a significant move toward gender inclusion, these buses are operated by women conductors who have been provided with special pink uniforms, said a press release issued by the government.
- 28 Jan 2026 6:14 PM IST
Vehicular traffic fully restored on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was fully restored on Wednesday (January 28), a day after being closed for vehicular movement in view of heavy snowfall, officials said.
They said heavy motor vehicles, including trucks, were allowed to ply on the 270-km highway -- the only all-weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country. "The highway has been restored fully, and traffic has been allowed to ply on both directions," an official said.
Earlier in the day, only light motor vehicles were allowed to ply on the road.
According to the officials, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) personnel sprinkled salt and urea to remove the frost on the road and ensure safe driving.
Most parts of Kashmir received snowfall on Tuesday (January 27), which led to the suspension of traffic on the highway and flight operations at the Srinagar airport. - 28 Jan 2026 3:09 PM IST
Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge seeks probe into Ajit Pawar's plane crash
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (January 28) said there should be a probe into the air crash in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed.
Kharge said Pawar's death was untimely and he was someone who worked for the people. "This has hurt everyone, including his family members, and we share their grief and pray that they can bear this loss," the Congress chief told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into Pawar's death in the plane crash, Kharge said there should be a probe as it was an accident.
"Everyone, all leaders, keep travelling for urgent work. But so many instances, we saw in Ahmedabad how a big plane crashed. This was a small plane, why this happened? It should be probed. We demand a probe," he said.
Earlier, in a post on X, the Congress chief said "Having served the people of Maharashtra in various constitutional capacities, Shri Ajit Pawar shall be remembered as a seasoned politician who discharged his responsibilities towards his people with sincerity and astuteness. May his soul rest in peace."
- 28 Jan 2026 3:05 PM IST
Ajit Pawar plane crash: Who are other Indian politicians who died in air tragedies
The death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a chartered aircraft crash near Baramati in the state's Pune district on Wednesday (January 28) has once again drawn attention to a grim pattern in Indian public life: Senior political leaders losing their lives in aviation accidents.
Deaths of politicians in air tragedies have been a repeated occurrence since 1965, when former Gujarat chief minister and Union minister Balwantrai Mehta died after his plane was shot down by Pakistani air forces during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Last year, another former Gujarat chief minister, Vijay Rupani, perished in the devastating Air India 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Read here to more about other leaders who died in the air crash.
- 28 Jan 2026 2:19 PM IST
Mamata demands SC-monitored probe into Ajit Pawar's death in plane crash
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar in a place crash, alleging that “all other agencies” have been “completely compromised”.
Stressing that the truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, Banerjee said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible. “We trust only the Supreme Court. All other agencies have been completely compromised,” she told reporters here before leaving for Singur in Hooghly district.
Banerjee also hinted that Ajit Pawar was planning to return to the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar NCP (SP), noting that reports circulating in recent days had pointed to such a move. “I was truly shocked to see the news (of Ajit Pawar’s death) this morning. It shows that there is no safety or security in this country, even for political leaders,” the CM said. “Even those who are a part of the ruling establishment today do not seem to be safe,” she added.
