From Soundarya to Taruni Sachdev: Famous celebrities who died in plane accidents

On January 28, the nation woke up to the shocking news of NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's death. The 66-year-old lead died in a charter plane crash. In the past, there were a few more well-known personalities who lost their lives in tragic aviation incidents.

Sowmya Sathyanarayana, popularly known as Soundarya, was an Indian actress. She gained popularity through her diverse roles in films like Sooryavansham, Raja, and various other South Indian movies. She was considered one of the greatest actresses in the history of Telugu cinema. Soundarya died in a plane crash on April 17, 2004, at the age of 31, when the private Cessna 180 aircraft crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Jakkur Airfield in Bangalore. The crash killed all the people on board, including Saundarya and her brother, who had accompanied her on the flight.

Taruni Sachdev was an Indian child actress born on May 14, 1998. She began her career in 2004 with Vellinakshatram, alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran, which brought her into the limelight. Sachdev gained recognition in Bollywood after featuring in Paa (2009), sharing screen with Amitabh Bachchan. Taruni died in the Agni Air Dornier 228 crash near Jomsom Airport in Nepal on 14 May 2012, on her 14th birthday.

Inder Hiralal Thakur was an Indian actor, fashion designer, and model who also worked as a purser on Air India. Thakur was best known for his role in the 1982 Bollywood film Nadiya Ke Paar, in which he played the memorable role of Omkar. In June 1985, the tragic explosion of Air India Flight 182 in mid-air due to a terrorist bombing ended his life, along with his wife Priya and their child.

Madhavrao Scindia was a prominent Indian politician, a senior leader of the Congress Party, and a former Union Minister. Scindia was also considered a strong potential candidate for Prime Minister of India. Scindia died on September 30, 2001, in a 10-seater private Beechcraft King Air C90 aircraft crashed in Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh.

Sanjay Gandhi was an Indian politician, a member of the Lok Sabha and the younger son of late Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. On 23 June 1980, Gandhi was flying a two-seater aircraft and lost control, which led to a tragic crash near Delhi’s Safdarjung Airport.