Daijiworld Media Network - Baramati
Baramati, Feb 2: Even as lakhs of grieving supporters gathered in Baramati to bid a final farewell to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, miscreants took advantage of the massive crowd to carry out a major theft. Gold chains worth an estimated Rs 25 to 30 lakh were reportedly snatched from around 15 people during the funeral proceedings.
Ajit Pawar died in a tragic plane crash on January 28. His mortal remains were cremated with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan grounds in Baramati. People from across Maharashtra converged on the town to pay their last respects, with the entire city immersed in mourning.
According to reports, a gang of thieves targeted unsuspecting mourners amid the dense crowd, snatching gold chains from their necks. The thefts came to light soon after the funeral, triggering outrage among citizens.
In the meantime, alert members of the public managed to catch a few suspected thieves red-handed, and some of the accused were handed over to the police. Notably, around 8,000 police personnel were deployed across Baramati on the day of the funeral. Despite the heavy security presence, the large-scale theft has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the arrangements.
Based on complaints filed by the victims, Baramati Taluka Police have registered a case against Mohammad Yunus, Rajkumar Athawale, Ejaz Mirawale, Mohammad Siraj, Balu Botre and two other accused. All those named in the case are currently being interrogated.
While the atmosphere during Ajit Pawar’s last rites was deeply emotional, the incident of chain-snatching has sparked widespread anger and concern among residents of Baramati.
The last rites of the 66-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief were held with full state honours. Union ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari, former Union minister Sharad Pawar, BJP president Nitin Nabin, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were among the dignitaries present. Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member, sons Parth and Jay, cousin and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and NCP working president Praful Patel also attended the funeral.
Thousands of supporters chanted “Ajit Dada amar rahe” as Pawar’s mortal remains, draped in the national flag, were brought from his village Katewadi to the Vidya Pratishthan ground. Earlier in the day, the body was taken from Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hospital in Baramati, where it had been kept overnight.
Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the aircraft crashed barely 200 metres from the edge of the tabletop airstrip. Those who lost their lives in the crash included Captain Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Capt Shambhavi Pathak, personal security officer Vidip Jadhav and flight attendant Pinky Mali.