‘Devastated’: MP Supriya Sule after cousin Ajit Pawar’s death in plane crash near Baramati in Pune

PTC Web Desk: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday expressed deep shock over the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a tragic plane crash near Baramati in Pune district earlier in the day.

“Devastated,” Supriya Sule, who is Ajit Pawar’s cousin, wrote on her WhatsApp status soon after the incident. The message was later deleted. Sule immediately left Delhi, where she was attending the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, and rushed to Baramati to be with Pawar’s family.

Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar and son Parth Pawar also departed for the crash site. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to address four public meetings in connection with the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections when the tragedy occurred.

The aircraft, a 16-year-old Bombardier Learjet 45 business jet, crashed at around 8.50 am, killing all six persons on board. Operated by VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd. and registered as VT-SSK, the twin-engine jet was completely destroyed on impact, with debris scattered across the area and thick smoke seen rising from the site.

Preliminary information suggests the aircraft encountered problems during the landing phase at Baramati airport. Rescue teams reported no signs of survival when they reached the wreckage. The Learjet 45 is commonly used for VIP and corporate travel and is considered suitable for short regional runways like Baramati.

Flight tracking data shows the jet took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am. It reportedly aborted its first landing attempt around 8.30 am, possibly due to poor visibility. A second approach was made at approximately 8.42 am, after which the aircraft disappeared from radar around 8.45 am before crashing near the threshold of runway 11.

Two pilots, Sumit Kapoor and Sambhavi Pathak, were among those killed in the crash.