The tragic and untimely death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has sent shockwaves through the country, not only because of the political implications this could have, but also for how it happened completely out of nowhere.
The minister, along with four other people, including crew members, died in a plane crash on January 28, 2026. There were no survivors.
While the nation is witnessing a mass outpouring of grief for Pawar, the phone call of one crew member with her father has come out, both unaware that it would be their last time talking to each other.
What began as a routine political trip quickly turned into heartbreak for families and colleagues alike.
The Crew Member’s Last Call
On Wednesday, January 28, Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party leader, died in a plane crash while the aircraft was trying to land at Baramati in Maharashtra.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Pawar was accompanied by 4 other people, personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, flight attendant Pinki Mali, along with two crew members, the pilot, Sumit Kapoor, and co-pilot, Shambhavi Pathak. All five people died in the plane crash, with no survivors.
In the midst of all the mourning, the last phone call of cabin crew member Pinky Mali with her father has come out, further showing the tragedy that took place. The 29-year-old, who was from Worli, Mumbai, had joined the charter service company VSR Ventures several years earlier.
In the hours before the crash, Pinky made a final phone call to her father, Shivkumar Mali, which has been shared with the media, where she said, “Pappa, I am flying to Baramati with Ajit Pawar. After dropping him off, I will head to Nanded. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Pinky was among the cabin crew on board Learjet 46, operated by VSR Ventures, and had flown often with various other political dignitaries, including the President, political leaders, chief ministers, and this would have been her fourth time flying with Ajit Pawar, as disclosed by her father.
Before that, she was a flight cabin crew employee with Air India, before switching to private chartered flights.
The heartbroken father further said, “I spoke to her last evening, and she told me that she would be going to Baramati with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and would then proceed to Nanded. I told her ‘let us speak tomorrow after your duty’. But that tomorrow will never come.”
The father, as per the report, was informed about the plane crash by a local politician named Samadhan Sarvankar, and said, “I switched on the television. The news left me shocked.”
Read More: “She Didn’t Want To Go,” Air India Crash Victims’ Families Share Heart Breaking Stories
Ajit Anantrao Pawar, one of Maharashtra’s longest-serving politicians, had been travelling to Baramati in Maharashtra to address various public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad elections.
The private chartered plane, a Lear Jet 45 aircraft, VT-SSK, took off from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 8.10 am.
It then seemed to vanish from radar, according to Flightradar24, at about 8.45 am, and finally crashed into the threshold of runway 11 at the Baramati airport at 8:48 am before bursting into flames.
Shivaji Taware, the manager at Baramati airport, speaking with Hindustan Times, said that “the aircraft VT SSK was attempting landing and the aircraft went on the side of the runway and exploded on crashing.”
V K Singh, the director of VSR Aviation, said, “Primarily, it appears that, you know, the pilot could not see the runway… that’s why he would have carried out (the second attempt at landing).”
In a statement, the federal aviation ministry also said, “The aircraft was cleared for landing in Baramati on Wednesday morning after multiple attempts but, having finally received landing clearance, it did not give any “read-back” or response to the Air Traffic Control and moments later burst into flames on the edge of the runway.”
According to reports, Pawar’s body was identified on the crash site through his wristwatch.
Kiran Gurjar, Pawar’s close aide and who was present at the hospital, further confirmed to Hindustan Times, “All six people including Ajit Pawar brought dead.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times
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