28 January,2026 10:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A man shows a photograph of Vidip Jadhav on his phone. Pic/PTI
Mumbai Police on Wednesday paid tribute to Ajit Pawar's Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav who died in the tragic plane crash while on duty.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar along with Vidip Jadhav and three others, including the pilot, co-pilot and staff member was killed in the plane crash on Wednesday morning near Baramati in Pune district of Maharashtra.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the passengers included Ajit Pawar (Deputy CM, NCP Chief), Vidip Jadhav (PSO, Mumbai Police Constable), Pinki Mali (Flight Attendant), Sumit Kapoor (Staff Member), Captain Sahil Madan (Pilot-in-Command).
In a post on Instagram, Mumbai Police stated that Jadhav's unfortunate demise had left the police force and the city in deep shock and grief.
The incident was described as a devastating loss for the Mumbai Police, which lost a dedicated and duty-bound officer in the line of service.
Senior officials and colleagues expressed sorrow over his tragic death.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the passengers included Ajit Pawar, Vidip Jadhav (PSO, Mumbai Police Constable) Pinki Mali (Flight Attendant) Sumit Kapoor (Staff Member) Captain Sahil Madan (Pilot-in-Command) First Officer (Co-Pilot)
Vidip Jadhav was known as a sincere and hardworking constable who carried out his responsibilities with discipline and commitment. His death is an irreparable loss to the force, officials said.
Officials said that Jadhav, a Mumbai Police constable from the 2009 batch, was serving as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) to Ajit Pawar at the time of the incident. He was widely regarded as a dedicated officer.
According to the DGCA, the aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar and four others crash-landed at Baramati airport on Wednesday, killing all those on board.
The DGCA dispatched a team of officials to the crash site to investigate the incident. The aircraft involved was a Learjet 45.
According to the official, there were five people on board at the time of the accident, Ajit Pawar, two accompanying personnel, including a personal security officer and an attendant, and two crew members comprising the pilot-in-command and the first officer. None of the occupants survived the crash, the official said.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the aircraft made first contact with Baramati at 8:18 a.m. and was cleared by Pune approach while inbound. During the approach to Runway 11, the pilots reported limited visibility and carried out a go-around after failing to sight the runway.
On the second attempt, the crew said the runway was visible and the aircraft was cleared to land at 8:43 a.m., but no readback was received. About one minute later, ground staff saw flames near the runway threshold, followed by a loud explosion. Emergency teams rushed to the site, where the wreckage was found close to the runway.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken charge of the probe.
