Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed after their aircraft crashed in Baramati on January 28, 2026. Here are 11 other prominent Indians who died in air crashes.
An MI 17 helicopter of the Indian army brought the body of Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu from Tawang to Itanagar helipad at 1:15 pm on Thursday. The body was received by his cabinet colleagues with full state honour.
Dorjee Khandu, who led the Congress to an absolute majority in the assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, was on Saturday elected the Congress Legislature Party leader, paving the way for his second stint as chief minister. Khandu's election was announced by central observer V Narayanasamy after all the 42 Members of Legislative Assembly, in a resolution, authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take a decision on the leadership.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a helicopter crash on April 30, had spoken to rediff.com in 2007 on the Chinese claims over parts of the state and news of incursion by the Chinese army. We reproduce that interview.
Khandu, a Monpa Buddhist of Tawang, is likely to take oath as the new chief minister later Monday evening.
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who died in a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, joined the list of several top Indian politicians and prominent personalities who lost their lives in aviation accidents.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a PIL alleging that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded government contracts to his family members. The court has asked the state government to provide details of the beneficiaries and inform if due process was followed. The bench also sought responses from union ministries of home affairs, finance and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the issue within five weeks.
BJP leader Pema Khandu took oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the third consecutive term on Thursday.
Braving inclement weather, security forces early on Monday morning resumed a massive search operation along the Indo-Bhutan border to trace the helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others, which went missing on Saturday.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has warned of stern action against National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, the Naga rebel group, which recently 'directed' the 12 elected representatives from various constituencies in Tirap and Changlang districts to withdraw support to Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government in the frontier hill state.
No one can capture an inch of Indian land till the Narendra Modi government is in power, Home Minister Amit Shah said Tuesday and claimed the actual reason behind the Congress disrupting Lok Sabha proceedings was not the clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers but a question on the cancellation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
Three bodies were sighted on Wednesday along with wreckage of an aircraft at a place on the path the helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others had taken and the worst is feared. Breaking information that is "not encouraging and not good news", Home Minister P Chidambaram said at a place between Kyela and Lobothang a party sent by circle officer sighted what appears to be an aircraft.
Three thousand security personnel were on Tuesday searching the inhospitable altitudes of Sela Pass to trace the missing chopper carrying Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others as inclement weather coupled with overnight rains led authorities to cancel aerial operations.
Stormy weather in Tawang continued to hamper the search operations to trace the Pawan Hans helicopter with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on board that went missing on Saturday morning.
In his condolence message to the late leader's wife Rinchin Drema, Dr Singh said in Khandu's passing away Arunachal Pracesh and the country have lost an experienced and 'Wable leader who spent long years in dedicated public service
Confirming the death of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the state governor has been asked to take "necessary consequential steps", an indication that a new chief minister will be chosen.
Inclement weather on Sunday affected the aerial search to trace the missing helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others even as the Army, Seema Suraksha Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol and the state police launched a massive ground operations to locate it.
Claude Arpi meets General J J Singh, former Army Chief and today the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, who spells out the priorities and his vision for this border state. The governor also revisits the 1962 war and shares his perceptions for the future.
Arunachal Pradesh members of legislative assembly cutting across party lines on Friday demanded an inquiry into the cause of the air crash that killed former chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others near Tawang.
Thousands of people bid a tearful adieu to former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu whose mortal remains were consigned to flames today, 10 days after his death in a chopper crash.
The army, with the help of locals, on Thursday brought the bodies of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others from Keyla, where the helicopter with five on board crashed on Saturday last.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu's chopper landed safely at Daporijo on Saturday afternoon, said a government spokesperson.The chopper had gone missing after it took off from Tawang at 9.45 am. The Air Force and the Army has launched search operations to locate the missing chopper.
Going for status quo, the Congress named Ashok Chavan and Bhupinder Singh Hooda as leaders of its legislature parties in Maharashtra and Haryana, clearing the decks for their return as chief ministers even as Arunachal strongman Dorjee Khandu was on Sunday sworn in for a second consecutive term in the state's top post.
Congress candidates were leading over their Nationalist Congress Party rivals in two assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh.
The chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) S S Khaplang has asked all the 12 elected legislators of the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to quit the ruling government or face the consequences. The alleged letter categorically directed all the 12 MLAs to corner Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.
On a visit to this remote town on the Sino-Indian border, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said funds would not be a constraint for development of Arunachal Pradesh, observing that the state shared a special place in the hearts of people of the country.
India must be fully prepared to defend its borders in the Northeastern region while striving for improved bilateral ties with China in trade and other fields, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu said on Tuesday.
The last such incident that killed senior armed forces personnel occurred on November 22, 1963.
The proposed visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh next month is yet to get clearance from the external affairs ministry, according to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.
Tibetan spiritual guru the Dalai Lama has accepted the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu to visit the state and inaugurate a hospital In Tawang.
The high voter turnout of 81 percent in the just-concluded assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh has not only proved the people's "patriotic" spirit but also silenced all critics," Governor General (retired) J J Singh said on Sunday.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has asserted that the proposed visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to the state, to inaugurate a hospital at Tawang, would not affect the relationship between India and China. The Chief Minister categorically said that the Centre never failed to assert its position, which was demonstrated by the recent visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony to the Himalayan state.
Khandu reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and people of the state would never give up their territorial rights.
Defence Minister, along with the Army Chief General Deepak Kumar and Defence Secretary Vijai Singh, is likely to arrive at Tawang where state Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu would receive them. Antony is scheduled to visit some forward areas in the border district before flying by chopper to Tenga, an important Army base in the district. The visit of Antony assumes significance in the light of recent disclosure that China has laid claim for Tawang.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen (Retd) J J Singh, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and state Finance Minister Kalikh Pul accompanied the prime minister in an army helicopter, which took off from the Rajbhawan helipad on Friday morning.
Fake currency with a total face value of Rs 4 crore has entered Arunachal Pradesh, Khandu said.
In what could raise the hackles of China, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has been invited to inaugurate a hospital at Tawang. The External Affairs Ministry may not give permission to the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang. The importance of the Dalai Lama's possible visit to Tawang could be assessed from the fact that the spiritual leader, after the failed uprising against the Chinese, had taken the Tawang route to flee to India in 1959.
"What to talk of Tawang, the entire Arunachal Pradesh is on this side of McMahon line and is an indivisible part of India."
Khandu emerged as the new star on the north eastern horizon when he was elected leader of the Congress in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday.
He was also the second in Goa who died while still in office.
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