Pune Police register accidental death report in Ajit Pawar plane crash
Pune: The Pune Rural Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) at the Baramati Taluka Police Station in connection with the plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, officials said on Thursday.
Police authorities stated that an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash is currently underway.
Teams from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are present at the crash site to examine the incident and ascertain the cause of the tragic accident.
According to the police, all aspects related to the accident are being investigated. As per procedure, the ADR will be handed over to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which will conduct the investigation based on the findings of the AAIB team.
Meanwhile, the final journey of Deputy Chief Minister Pawar has begun in Baramati’s Kathewadi village, his native place.
Family members, relatives and a large number of supporters have started arriving at the Pawar family farms in Kathewadi to pay their last respects ahead of the final rites.
At the same time, preparations are underway at the Vidya Pratishthan Ground in Baramati for Ajit Pawar’s funeral ceremony, which is expected to witness the presence of senior leaders from across the political spectrum.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and several other senior political leaders are scheduled to attend the funeral to pay tribute to the late leader.
In view of the tragic demise, the Maharashtra government has announced a three-day period of state mourning. During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings across the state as a mark of respect.
Deputy CM Pawar and four others were killed when a Learjet 45 aircraft crashed near Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning.
The aircraft, bearing registration number VT-SSK, was operated by VSR Ventures.
Apart from Deputy CM Pawar, the people onboard the plane, Learjet 45 aircraft (registration VT-SSK) operated by VSR, included a personal security officer (PSO), a flight attendant, and two crew members — a Pilot-in-Command (PIC) and a Second-in-Command (SIC).
The deceased have been identified as Vidip Jadhav (male), Pinky Mali (female). Additionally, the crew members were PIC Sumit Kapur and SIC Shambhavi Pathak, according to the passenger list.