The country was struck by shock and grief on January 28, 2026, after Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and former Nationalist Congress Party president, died in a tragic plane crash near Baramati Airport while on official travel.
The chartered Learjet 45XR aircraft carrying Pawar and four others crashed during its final approach to the runway at Baramati Airport in Pune district on Wednesday morning, reducing the aircraft to twisted metal and flames, with no survivors, authorities confirmed.
The death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati has once again brought back memories of several Indian political leaders and prominent personalities who lost their lives in aviation mishaps.
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Vijay Rupani (2025)
The former Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader died on June 12, 2025, in the crash involving Air India Flight 171. The aircraft went down shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad en route to London-Gatwick.
General Bipin Rawat (2021)
India’s first Chief of Defence Staff died in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu while travelling from Sulur to Wellington with his wife and 11 others.
Om Prakash Jindal (2005)
The industrialist and Haryana minister died in a helicopter crash in 2005.
G M C Balayogi (2002)
The then Lok Sabha Speaker and Telugu Desam Party leader died in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002, in Andhra Pradesh.
Madhavrao Scindia (2001)
The senior Congress leader and former Civil Aviation Minister was killed in a Cessna aircraft crash on September 30, 2001. The plane went down while he was travelling to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh to address a public rally.
Surendra Nath (1994)
Then Governor of Punjab and nine members of his family were killed when a government Super-King aircraft crashed into high mountains in Himachal Pradesh on July 9, 1994, amid bad weather conditions.
Sanjay Gandhi (1980)
The Congress leader and younger son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi died at the age of 34 when a small aircraft he was piloting crashed shortly after take-off from Safdarjung Airport in Delhi on June 23, 1980. While performing aerobatic manoeuvres, including dives and loops, he lost control of the aircraft, which crashed near Teen Murti House.
N. V. N. Somu (1974)
The then Minister of State for Defence lost his life in a plane crash in 1974.
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S. Mohan Kumaramangalam (1973)
The Congress leader and former Union Minister died in a plane crash in 1973 while travelling on official duty.
Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1966)
The father of India’s nuclear programme died in the Air India Flight 101 crash on January 24, 1966, when the aircraft crashed into Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps due to miscommunication with air traffic control.
