The tragic plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, on January 28 has left an indelible scar on multiple families, shattering lives in an instant. Among the five victims was Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and flight attendant Pinky Mali, whose father Shivkumar Mali is now voicing his profound grief and anger over the aviation company’s utter neglect.
Speaking exclusively on Thursday, Shivkumar revealed that MGR Ventures, the operator of the ill-fated aircraft, never once reached out to his family. ‘We learned of my daughter’s death through television news,’ he said, his voice heavy with sorrow. The family was left to fend for themselves, discovering the heartbreaking truth while watching reports unfold on screen.
Just days before the crash, Pinky had spoken to her father, excitedly sharing her itinerary. ‘She told me she was flying with Ajit Dada to Baramati, then on to Nanded, and promised to call from the hotel,’ Shivkumar recounted. That call never came, replaced instead by unimaginable loss.
The father’s anguish deepened as he described arriving in Baramati without any assistance. No company representatives, no coordination, no support. ‘This isn’t just negligence; it’s inhuman,’ he asserted. Families of victims deserve immediate notification, reassurance, and aid—basic protocols flagrantly ignored here.
Shivkumar demanded a thorough investigation into the crash. ‘The flight covered over 250 km from Mumbai at high speed. Why did it happen during landing? I need answers about what took my daughter,’ he pleaded. Reflecting on Pinky’s journey, he shared how he had instilled resilience in her after losing his job in Delhi in 1989. Years of training and promotions had led her to this role, only for it to end so abruptly.
Pinky’s husband, Somvikar Saini, echoed the sentiment, not seeking financial aid but simple human empathy. Even days later, no calls, no messages, no presence from the company. The family handled everything—from retrieving the body to arranging transport—entirely on their own.
As investigations proceed, this incident raises serious questions about corporate responsibility in aviation tragedies. The Mali family’s ordeal underscores a glaring failure in protocol, demanding accountability and reform to prevent such callousness in the future.