'Ajit Dada Amar Rahe': Slogans, tears as villagers mourn Pawar at his Katewadi home
Baramati (PTI): Hundreds of mourners thronged the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at his native village Katewadi near here on Thursday morning to pay their last respects to the leader who died in a plane crash.
Grief-stricken people from Katewadi and nearby villages in Pune district, joined by NCP workers, made a beeline outside the residence gates, chanting slogans such as "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe" and "Ajit Dada Parat Ya" (Ajit Dada please come back).
"A leader like him will not be born again," several mourners said, lauding his role in the region's development.
Pawar (66) was killed on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune. Two pilots, a flight attendant and a personal security officer were also killed in the accident.
On Thursday morning, the mortal remains of Pawar were brought from the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hospital in Baramati, where they were kept overnight, to his Katewadi village near Baramati.
With tears welling up, 65-year-old Katewadi resident Ganpat Thombre choked when asked to describe his feelings.
"It has been 24 hours since the tragic incident that took our leader away. I am still unable to come to terms with the fact that Dada (as Pawar was fondly called) is no more. A leader like him will not be born again," Thombre told PTI.
"Though he was the deputy chief minister, he paid keen attention to issues of Katewadi, Khatalpatta, Songain and other adjoining villages," he said.
Thombre said he knew Pawar personally, as the latter had helped his granddaughter secure admission to a medical college.
"He brought about transformation in this region by building good roads and schools. A leader of his stature will not be there again," he said, as tears rolled down his face.
Chandrakant Mali, who came from Ter in Dharashiv district, said Maharashtra has "lost a diamond".
Inside the premises where the mortal remains were kept for the last darshan, Ajit Pawar's wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, his sons Parth and Jay, and his younger brother Shrinivas Pawar accepted tributes from people with folded hands.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, his wife and son Amit, actor Riteish Deshmukh, and several other dignitaries were among those who paid tributes to Pawar at his residence in Katewadi.
After the final darshan at the residence, the mortal remains were taken to the sports ground of Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, where the last rites will be held with full state honours.
VIDEO | Baramati: The hearse van carrying the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar moves towards Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2026
The van is surrounded by thousands of supporters walking alongside, chanting tributes, and paying respects.
(Full video… pic.twitter.com/559a3NXxPz
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
