E-Paper
2 dead, 1 missing after car plunges into canal in Solapur
According to the police, the vehicle veered off the bridge and fell into the canal, quickly going down with the occupants trapped inside
In a tragic road accident near Natepute in Solapur district, three members of a family drowned after their car plunged into the Nira canal in the early hours of Friday. Police have recovered two bodies so far.
The bodies of Hanumant Laxman Jathar (58) and Manjula Hanumant Jathar (48) have been recovered while a search is ongoing to locate their daughter, Priti Sunil Tilekar (30) - all residents of Dahisar Mori in Thane district.
Priti’s husband, Sunil Tilekar (33), a Kalamboli resident who was driving the vehicle, survived the accident which occurred around 5am. The family was travelling from Mumbai towards Phondshiras when their vehicle, an Ertiga, reportedly lost control while crossing a bridge over the canal.
According to the police, the vehicle veered off the bridge and fell into the canal, quickly going down with the occupants trapped inside. The lone survivor managed to escape and swim to the bank, and alerted local residents and police about the incident.
Police and emergency teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. The vehicle was retrieved from the canal within 100 metres of the accident spot. Two bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem.
Santosh Walake, sub-division police officer, Akluj, told HT, “The sleep-deprived car driver lost control and the car plunged into the canal. As of now, we have recovered two bodies and the car. Search for the missing person is going on.”
Vishal Vaykar, assistant police inspector, Natepute police station, said, “We have filed an accidental death report (ADR) and after investigating all angles, we will take necessary legal steps in the case.”
The family had set out on their journey on Thursday at 11pm. Police said that the survivor, Sunil, is an air-conditioner repair mechanic. Sushant Jathar, the brother of Sunil’s wife, Priti, who is still missing, said, “At around 12:17am, I spoke with my parents over the phone, and they informed me that they had reached Khopoli. I had asked them to stay the night at my home. At 6:30am, I received a call from my neighbour, Deshmukh Buwa, who informed me that my brother-in-law’s car had fallen into the canal.”
Sushant further informed that the family was going to Panchgani to inquire about hostel admissions for their children. Police filed the ADR based on his complaint.
According to the police, the ill-fated car was afloat in the water for a few minutes after it fell. During that time, Sunil tried to call his relatives to seek help. He and his wife managed to get out of the car, but their parents failed to escape and drowned.
Sunil managed to swim to the bank but his wife was swept away by the strong currents.
According to sources in the police department, Priti and Sunil were separated and a court hearing of their divorce petition was slated for April 8. Considering this, police are also looking into a possible ‘murder’ angle.
A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “Prima facie it seems that there were disputes between the couple. We are exploring all angles related to the case.”
