Two Delhi Pilots, Security Officer Among Four Killed with Ajit Pawar

The plane crash in Baramati that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also killed two pilots from Delhi, a flight attendant, and his personal security officer, officials said on Wednesday.

The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd and registered as VT-SSK, was carrying five people when it crashed during a second landing attempt on Wednesday morning.

Pilots

The aircraft was flown by Captain Sumit Kapur (62) of Rajouri Garden and First Officer Shambhavi Pathak (25) of Safdarjung Enclave.

Sumit Kapur, who had over 40 years of flying experience, is survived by his wife Cheena and children Shiv and Sanya. A neighbour described him as deeply passionate about flying and highly respected in the aviation community.

“He flew several politicians and celebrities in recent years and remained humble despite his experience,” the neighbour said.

Shambhavi Pathak, a trained commercial pilot, had joined VSR Ventures in August 2022. Her family had shifted to their Safdarjung Enclave residence just three days before the accident.

A resident welfare association member said her mother was inconsolable, while her father, a retired Indian Air Force officer, rushed to Pune after learning of the tragedy.

Flight Attendant

Pinky Mali (29), a resident of Mumbai’s Prabhadevi, was also among the victims.

Her father, Shivkumar Mali, said the family learned about the crash from television nearly two hours after it occurred.

She had spoken to her parents the previous night, informing them of her trip to Baramati and her planned onward journey to Nanded. According to her family, this was her fourth trip with Ajit Pawar in a week.

“Our world collapsed when we heard the news,” her father said.

Personal Security Officer

Vidip Jadhav, a police head constable serving as Pawar’s personal security officer, also died in the crash.

His family learned of the incident through television reports at their home in Kalwa, Thane. His neighbour said his mother struggled to accept the news and kept switching channels in the hope that he was still alive.

Soon after, local police officials arrived and escorted his family to Baramati.

Aircraft Details

The Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK, was operated by VSR Ventures Pvt. Ltd. Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the crash.