New Delhi, Feb 04 : New details have emerged about the final moments before the Baramati plane crash that claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on January 28. Call data shared by the Nationalist Congress Party indicates that Pawar was on the phone with a party worker just nine minutes before the aircraft went down while attempting to land.
The short conversation, described as routine, has since acquired emotional significance for party members. When the audio recording was played at the NCP office in Baramati, several workers were moved to tears, as it marked the last time many heard the veteran leader’s voice.
The call was made to Shreejit Pawar, a party worker from Katewadi. According to him, he had sent Pawar a message at 8.19 am regarding a local matter but did not receive an immediate reply, likely because the flight was still in the air. Once network connectivity resumed during descent, Pawar returned the call at around 8.37 am.
The conversation lasted roughly a minute. After listening to the issue, Pawar responded briefly and assured him he would reconnect later, saying he would call back after landing. At approximately 8.46 am, the aircraft crashed near Baramati airport.
Remembering the exchange, Shreejit said it reflected Pawar’s habit of responding personally to party workers despite his busy schedule. During the call, the senior leader reportedly reiterated his commitment to inclusive politics, stressing the importance of representation across communities and highlighting recent candidate selections aligned with that approach.
Pawar had been scheduled to address four election rallies in Baramati later that day, underscoring that he remained actively involved in organisational work until the very end.
The audio clip was later played publicly at the party office so colleagues could hear his voice one final time. Meanwhile, investigators are examining the aircraft’s black box as part of an ongoing probe, with a possible technical malfunction among the angles being explored.