A 53-year-old woman, identified as Rama Kapadi, was killed on the Katraj–Kondhwa Road after her scooter came under a truck on Monday. The incident took place at 7:30 am near the Hanuman Temple, beyond the ISKCON Chowk.
Due to heavy traffic congestion on the road, no help could reach her for half an hour. She was finally taken to Bharati Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The woman was a teacher at JSPM (Jayawant Shikshan Prasarak Mandal) University.
Police personnel reached the spot soon after the incident. The container truck and its driver were taken into custody, and the vehicle was later moved to the side of the road to ease congestion. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav said traffic movement was restored after the truck was cleared from the road, and police staff managed the situation on-site.
Reportedly, more than 55 accidents have occurred on this three-and-a-half-kilometre stretch of road, resulting in 25 deaths in the last four and a half years.
Responding to the tragic accident, NCP(SP) Pune Chief, Prashant Jagtap, said, “For the inauguration of a road in Pune city, the Chief Minister was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, so the police imposed traffic restrictions from the crack of dawn. Without any prior notice, the road was diverted, and due to not anticipating this, an accident occurred involving Ramatai Kapdi, a teacher at J.S.P.M. College. However, due to the massive traffic jam, Ramatai Kapdi could not receive timely treatment. Due to excessive blood loss, her life flame was ultimately extinguished.”
“Chief Minister Sir, you came to power to end the VIP culture, but now, by becoming a VIP yourself, you've started playing with the lives of the people? Who is responsible for the death of our sister who lost her life due to your royal arrival?” Jagtap added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vasant More took to Facebook and wrote that the accident took place because of a road diversion due to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s visit.
He wrote, “Another victim of the undisciplined traffic on Katraj–Kondhwa Road. Today, the unveiling of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is taking place on Kondhwa Road in the afternoon at the hands of the Chief Minister. Because of this, the road was diverted near the lake, and due to unfamiliarity with the road layout, our sister, Ramatai Kapade, a teacher at JSPM, tragically passed away.”
“Due to the traffic jam, no one could reach her, and she lost her life due to excessive bleeding. Who is responsible for this?” he asked.
