West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed deep shock over reports that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had died in a plane crash in Baramati, and demanded a full investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
Raising serious concerns, she also called for an inquiry into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the incident. Reacting to the mishap, Mamata said the news had left her “stunned and saddened,” adding that if such an incident could happen to a senior political leader, it raised grave questions about the security of public representatives in the country. According to her, the reported crash had exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s overall security system.
The Chief Minister further stated that she had received information from a source suggesting that Pawar was considering leaving the BJP.
“In this situation, the incident appears highly suspicious,” she said, while clarifying that she was not naming any individual or making direct accusations. She stressed that every aspect of the matter must be thoroughly investigated.
Mamata categorically rejected any probe by central investigating agencies, stating that she had no faith in them. “I do not want an investigation by any agency. These agencies have been sold out to the central government. A genuine and transparent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court is essential,” she said.
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Referring to a series of recent aviation incidents, the Chief Minister remarked that people in the country no longer felt secure and that the truth behind such incidents must come to light. She also noted that although Pawar was currently part of the BJP-led alliance, there had been widespread speculation about his political future in recent times, which made the reported incident even more concerning.
Calling it a “great loss for the nation,” Mamata conveyed her condolences to Pawar’s family, colleagues, and supporters.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses have said the ill-fated aircraft carrying Pawar appeared to be “a bit unstable in the air” and exploded the moment it crashed on the ground near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning.
Another person who witnessed the incident said that after the crash, the aircraft burst into flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts.
“It took a round in the air, appeared a bit unstable and as it was approaching the runway to land, it hit the ground hard and exploded. It tilted before coming down. There was a loud sound and could be heard at our home,” the woman told a news channel.
Another eyewitness corroborated the woman’s account, saying the aircraft appeared to be losing control as it descended. “The way the plane was coming down, we felt it was going to crash. It was around 100 feet above the runway. As we rushed towards it, we saw flames, followed by four to five consecutive blasts, which prevented us from going anywhere near the aircraft,” he told reporters.
An eyewitness, Pramod Madurikar, said the bodies were identified immediately after the crash and shifted to an ambulance, while fire brigade personnel reached the spot almost simultaneously to assist with rescue and emergency operations.
According to Flight Radar, the flight took off from Mumbai at 8.10 am, but disappeared from radar around 8.45 am.
Pawar was travelling to Baramati from Mumbai to address public meetings as part of the campaign for the February 5 zilla parishad elections in the state.
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