India, Jan. 29 -- "He was always smiling, always greeting everyone," said Chandrakant Sane, recalling his neighbour Vidip Jadhav, a police head constable and personal security officer (PSO), who died in the Learjet 45 plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday which also claimed the life of deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar.

The aircraft (VT-SSK), operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, took off at 8.10 am and crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airstrip around 8.45 am.

Sane said the family learnt about the crash after Jadhav's mother switched on the television. "It was around 9am when we heard loud cries from next door. Only his mother and son were at home then, as his wife Sandhya had gone to her ...