Special Correspondent
Pune: A 28-year-old man, Vishwa Pardesi, sustained serious injuries on Saturday afternoon when a thick overhead cable struck his neck while he was riding a motorcycle on Pune’s Sinhagad Road near Santosh Hall. The incident occurred around 2 PM as Pardesi was commuting from Nanded City toward central Pune.
According to Pardesi, the wire was hanging loosely and unexpectedly fell, slashing his neck and causing him to lose control of the bike. He fell and sustained injuries, while his pillion rider suffered a leg injury in the resulting accident. Following the incident, Pardesi approached the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Electrical Department and lodged a formal complaint.
However, officials from the department claimed that no maintenance or installation work was being carried out in that area at the time. They did acknowledge the complaint and committed to inspecting the location on Tuesday to determine the origin of the wire.
The area near Santosh Hall has been under flyover construction, and multiple loose and tangled overhead wires can be seen dangling carelessly, posing a constant danger to commuters. Pardesi also spoke with the flyover site engineer, who reportedly stated that the wires in question did not belong to the flyover project and that repeated requests had been made to the PMC to remove them.
Responsibility for the hanging wires remains unclear, with PMC and the flyover contractor distancing themselves from the incident. Commuters and residents have raised concerns about the lack of accountability and inaction, stating that such negligence could lead to more serious accidents.
An FIR has been lodged in the case. PMC’s Electrical Department head, Manisha Shekatkar, stated that the fallen cable was identified as belonging to a private cable operator and not the civic body. She confirmed that legal action would be taken against the responsible party.
Residents continue to urge authorities to remove hazardous overhead wires in the area to prevent further mishaps.
