30 January,2026 11:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi Alurkar
The grieving family of Pinky Mali. Pic/Shadab Khan
Colleagues, kin, neighbours, and several relatives huddled up at the Century Mills MHADA colony in Prabhadevi on Thursday morning as the mortal remains of 29-year-old flight attendant Pinky Mali were brought in from Baramati for her last rites. The budding air hostess lost her life in the shocking charter plane crash that also claimed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's life. Her parents, Shiv Kumar Mali and Maya Mali, sobbed seeing their middle child draped in cloth head to toe, while Karan and Preeti, Pinky's siblings, gave them courage.
A large number of Pinky's relatives had arrived from Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, the Mali family's native town, on Thursday, informed her aunt, Pushpa Mali. "She was a happy kid⦠she would visit our family every time she was in Banaras and always kept in touch," she told mid-day.
Many neighbours remember young Pinky as a happy, proactive child. "She moved to Kalwa after her marriage, but people always spoke very highly of her. She seemed satisfied with her career and new family, too," said Sadhana Singh, a neighbour.
"We all knew of Pinky, but we never imagined that this was how she would lose her life," said another neighbour.
Among the throngs of MHADA residents, media, and family friends were her aviation colleagues. One colleague, who has known Pinky for the past 10 years, recalled her experience of working with the budding stewardess. "I originally met Pinky during a short correspondence course. She was extremely jolly. Be it dance competitions or the ramp walk, she would always be a part of these events," said her colleague on condition of anonymity.
Pinky's close friends shared how she also hoped to establish a modelling career. But in hopes of supporting her family and finding pride in hospitality, she chose the job of a flight attendant.
According to neighbours and family friends, Pinky's father was a staffer at an airport in his early days but lost his job. Soon after, he began working at the Century Mills and then lost stable income once again when the mills shut down. Pinky, in hopes of supporting her family and fulfilling her dad's ambition, eagerly took up her profession.
"Pinky was a very supportive girl and was good at her job. Not a single complaint was raised against her during her service time at the airlines," said another co-worker.
They stated that Pinky was the kind who was "always ready to fly". Flying with VVIPs was a common work experience for them all. "She was willing to fly for 15-20 days without a break⦠she never said no," added the other co-worker.
On Thursday, the mortal remains of Mali were brought from Baramati to Kalwa, the residence of her in-laws. Soon after, she was carried to Century Mills MHADA in Prabhadevi at 11.45 am, where her close ones paid their respects. After a few hours, the family took her mortal remains to Shivaji Park for her last rites.
29
Age of Pinky Mali
Shiv Kumar Mali, Pinky's father
This has been absolutely devastating for our family. In a few days, we will be leaving for Nashik to immerse her ashes. We have asked for an inquiry into why we were never officially informed by the company about our daughter's death. Had we not switched on the TV, we would have found out very late. We travelled to Baramati on our own buck and identified our daughter at the hospital.
