Thursday, January 29, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 98 | 34 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL HAPPY INDIAN NEWSPAPER DAY INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition NATION India acting as a bridge in strife-torn world, Prez tells Parliament as Budget session starts GAMES Cinema Shreya reacts as Arijit steps away from playback singing Rohit Sharma feels Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep will be key for India at T20 WC Edit India’s trade agreement with EU brings relief for farmers Three-day state mourning declared ■ Funeral today ■ DGCA, AAIB initiate probe AJIT DADA DIES IN AIR CRASH FATAL MOMENTS Dhairya Gajara MUMBAI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on Wednesday morning when a chartered Bombardier Learjet 45XR crashed in Baramati, the pocket borough of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president, causing widespread political reverberations across the state and beyond. Four others on board the ill-fated plane, including two pilots, also lost their lives in the accident. Reports from Baramati suggested that Capt Sumit Kapur (61) could not land the 16-yearold aircraft and made a second attempt, but apparently because of poor visibility it landed on the threshold of the airstrip and burst into a huge ball of flames. An eyewitness said, “l live near the air strip. I saw the plane crash and catch fire. A few neighbours and I rushed to the spot and soon were joined by the police and fire brigade. The fire was doused after some effort but its intensity was so high that all the five persons aboard were charred to death." Pawar's body was identified by the watch on his wrist. The private aircraft, registered as VT-SSK, was operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures and was chartered by Pawar to travel from Mumbai to Bara- 8.10 am: The Learjet 45 took off from the general aviation terminal at Kalina, Mumbai. 8.18 am: The aircraft (call sign VT-SSK) established first contact with Baramati ATC. ■ The crew reported being 30 nautical miles inbound and was advised to descend under visual meteorological conditions at the pilot’s discretion, as Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield. ■ On enquiry, ATC informed the crew that winds were calm and visibility was around 3,000 metres. ■ The aircraft reported on final approach to Runway 11, but the runway was not in sight, forcing the crew to initiate a go-around mati, the Pawar family’s political stronghold, for a slew of public meetings for the upcoming zilla parishad elections. According to the passenger manifest from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s general aviation terminal, the flight was scheduled to depart at 7 am but actually took off at 8.10 am and crashed within less than 35 minutes. VSR Ventures has a controversial past. Another Bombar- dier Learjet of the firm crashed in Mumbai airport in September 2023, but the probe report has not been made public. The 14-year-old firm is owned by Capt Vijay Singh and his son Capt Rohit Singh. It has a fleet of 17 aircraft. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe by an independent agency. 4See also | city during the first landing attempt. ■ During the second attempt, when asked about runway visibility, the crew initially said the runway was not in sight and that they would call back once it was visible. ■ A few seconds later, the crew reported that the runway was in sight. 8.43 am: The aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 11, but the crew did not give a readback or respond to the clearance. 8.44 am: ATC observed flames near the threshold of Runway 11, indicating the aircraft had crashed. ■ Emergency services rushed to the site, but all five persons on board were dead. Modi, Shah may attend last rites in Baramati FPJ News Service MUMBAI The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be held with full state honours on Thursday in Baramati, Pune district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the funeral, scheduled to be held at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds at 11 am. Leaders cutting across party lines are expected to be present at the funeral, the Nationalist Congress Party said. The mortal remains of Pawar will be kept at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds in Bara- CM Devendra Fadnavis, Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde in Baramati. mati, where members of the public will be allowed to pay their final respects. The state government declared a public holiday on Wednesday and announced three days of state mourning. UNCERTAINTY LOOMS OVER NCP’S FUTURE Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI The sudden demise of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s political landscape, triggering intense speculation over the future of the party he once firmly controlled. With no clear successor emerging from either his family or party ranks, the NCP now finds itself at a critical crossroads. Ajit Pawar had split from his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar nearly three years ago, taking control of a faction of the party and aligning it with the Sunetra Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, Parth & Jay Pawar BJP-led government in Maha- authority within his faction. rashtra. His political acumen, However, his untimely death has firm grip over the party organ- created a leadership vacuum isation and decisive leadership that appears difficult to fill. made him the unquestioned Ajit Pawar’s immediate family offers little clarity on succession. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, entered politics only last year when she contested the Lok Sabha election from Baramati. Despite her defeat, Ajit Pawar ensured her entry into Parliament through a Rajya Sabha nomination. 4See also | city