Viral Pilot Photo Does Not Match Actual Crash Victim: Investigation

Following the tragic charter plane crash in Baramati on January 28 that killed all on board, including former Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, a photograph of a man in a pilot’s uniform began circulating widely on social media. Many posts claimed that the person shown was the pilot in charge of the ill-fated aircraft operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. Evidence A Google keyword search “Baramati plane crash,” and “pilot” led us to an X post by ANI featuring Vijay Kumar Singh, director and key owner of VSR Ventures Private Limited. Singh confirmed that the pilot of the ill-fated flight was Captain Sumit Kapoor, describing him as a close friend. Singh said Captain Kapoor had more than 16,000 flying hours of experience.Further, a report by NDTV dated January 30, 2026 published a photograph of Captain Sumit Kapoor and confirmed that he was among the five victims of the Baramati crash that killed all on board, including Ajit Pawar. According to friends quoted in the article, Captain Kapoor hadn’t originally been scheduled for the flight; he stepped in after another pilot was delayed in traffic. Another report by Hindustan Times on January 31, 2026 shared additional photographs of Captain Kapoor with his daughter Sanya Kapur Wadhwa, who has posted numerous images of her father on social media. These verified photos do not match the individual in the viral image.A reverse image search on the viral photo led to a LinkedIn profile under the name Sahil Madaan that uses the same image and notes an association with VSR Ventures Private Limited. This overlap in company name may have contributed to mistaken claims about his involvement in the crash.Additionally, an Instagram post by news outlet DNA used the viral photo while identifying the person as Sahil Madaan, the pilot of the ill-fated plane. In the comments, a user identifying herself as Sanjam Saini stated that the person in the photo is her husband, Captain Sahil Madaan, and that he was not on the crashed aircraft. Newschecker has reached out to the individuals and the company concerned for confirmation, and will update this article once we receive a response. However, the available evidence shows that the viral photograph does not depict Captain Sumit Kapoor, the pilot who died in the Baramati crash.Verdict The viral photograph being shared online does not show the pilot who was in charge of the charter plane that crashed in Baramati, killing all on board, including Ajit Pawar. The pilot of that flight was Captain Sumit Kapoor, and the verified photographs of him differ from the man shown in the viral image.FAQs