From Bose, Sanjay Gandhi to Ajit Pawar: High profile figures who lost their lives in aircraft crashes

On January 28, 2026, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was among six people killed when his aircraft crashed during landing in Baramati, Pune district. The tragedy adds to a somber list of Indian leaders lost in aviation accidents, including CDS Bipin Rawat, Sanjay Gandhi, and YSR. This slideshow honors their lives and legacies.

Ajit Pawar, 66, Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader, died on January 28, 2026, when his aircraft crashed during landing in Baramati. He was en route to attend a party event ahead of Zilla Parishad elections. All six on board, including crew and aides, perished. The DGCA confirmed no survivors. Visuals show the plane fully engulfed in fire, with only the tail intact.

On December 8, 2021, General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, died in a Mi-17V-5 helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. His wife and 11 others also perished. The IAF inquiry cited "human error" due to spatial disorientation in cloud cover.

Sanjay Gandhi, son of PM Indira Gandhi, died on June 23, 1980, when his Pitts S-2A stunt plane crashed in Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave. He was performing unauthorized aerobatics. His death altered India’s political succession.

Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died on September 2, 2009, when his Bell 430 helicopter crashed in dense forest during bad weather. His body was found 27 hours later. The tragedy triggered massive public grief and political upheaval.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is officially reported to have died on August 18, 1945, in a plane crash in Taihoku (now Taipei), Taiwan. The Japanese bomber carrying him crashed shortly after takeoff due to an engine failure, with a propeller blade breaking off. Bose sustained severe third-degree burns, was rushed to Nanmon Military Hospital, and died the same evening. He was cremated on August 22. Multiple inquiries, including the Shah Nawaz Committee (1956) and Khosla Commission (1970), support this version, though the Mukherjee Commission (2005) disputed it, fueling enduring mystery.

G.M.C. Balayogi, the youngest and only Dalit Lok Sabha Speaker, died on March 3, 2002, in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh. He was traveling to a political rally. The crash highlighted risks in VIP air travel during poor visibility.

Veteran Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia died on September 30, 2001, when his Cessna 441 crashed near Kanpur. A respected parliamentarian, his death was a major loss to national politics.

Arunachal Pradesh CM Dorjee Khandu went missing on April 30, 2011, when his helicopter vanished in mountainous terrain. His body was found five days later near the China border, exposing challenges in high-altitude rescue.

O.P. Jindal, Haryana’s Power Minister and steel magnate, died on March 2, 2005, when his helicopter crashed near Saharanpur due to technical failure. His death impacted both state politics and India’s industrial landscape.