On Wednesday morning, Maharashtra lost its Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a tragic plane crash. The tragic incident has evoked memories of past plane crashes in India that killed prominent leaders, such as Bipin Rawat, Sanjay Gandhi, Vijay Rupani and many more. In this article, the CSR Journal revisits some of the most prominent air crashes in India’s history.

Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash

On Wednesday (January 28), Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash, while landing at Baramati airport. It was confirmed by DGCA that all passengers onboard have died. Total 5 people were on board, this included three passengers, one pilot, and one crew member.

Former CM of Andhra Pradesh CM YS Reddy

In 2009, former CM of Andhra Pradesh was travelling in a helicopter, when it suddenly went missing near the Nallamala Forest area. After hours of rescue operation, it was declared that 5 were dead, including Reddy.

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani

Prominent BJP leader and former CM of Gujarat Vijay Rupani died last year in an Ahmedabad plane crash. Rupani was onboard on Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport in London. The plane crashed immediately after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia

The former civil aviation minister and senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, died in 2001 in a plane crash, while he was heading towards a rally in Kanpur. It was a 10-seater private aircraft, and the reason for the crash was poor weather conditions near Manipuri, UP.

Sanjay Gandhi died in plane crash

Top Congress leader and son of then PM Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi’s plane crashed in 1980. The plane crashed while Gandhi was doing an aerial stunt in a Delhi Flying Club aircraft in Safdarjung airport.

Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu

In 2011, then Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu was killed in a helicopter crash. For 5 days the helicopter went missing, later it was confirmed that Khandu was dead and his body was recovered in Luguthang, near the China border.

Bipin Rawat died in Mi-17 V5 crash

On December 8, 2021, India’s then Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat was killed in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash. In the Mi-17 V5, Rawat and his wife Madhulika, along with 12 others were onboard. Just a few minutes before landing in Coimbatore, the helicopter crashed.

Haryana ministers Om Prakash Jindal and Surender Sing

Senior Haryana Ministers from Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and then the Power Minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Jindal and then Agriculture Minister Surender Singh died in a helicopter crash on 31 March 2005. The helicopter crashed near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. As per investigation there was mechanical or technical failure and also poor visibility.

GMC Balayogi

India’s youngest LS Speaker and first Dalit to hold this prestigious position, GMC Balayogi died on 3 March 2002, after the helicopter Bell 206 carrying him crashed in Kaikalur, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. He was then coming back after attending Bhimavaram function and had chosen to fly instead of travelling via train. As per official probe, it was pilot’s negligence and poor visibility that led to the crash.

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