Maharashtra
Mumbai–Pune Expressway Gridlock: Khandala Ghat Jam Leaves Commuters Stranded for Hours; MP Supriya Sule Also Stuck
Pimpri-Chinchwad: Heavy traffic congestion brought vehicular movement to a near standstill on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway on Friday morning, with long queues reported on the Khandala Ghat stretch and in the Lonavala area. Commuters remained stuck for hours, raising fresh concerns over recurring bottlenecks on one of Maharashtra’s busiest highways.
The traffic jam occurred on the day when the much-anticipated Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project was set to be inaugurated. The project is expected to reduce travel time and ease congestion in the Ghat section. However, the situation on the ground told a different story, as vehicles remained stranded even before the formal opening.
Several travellers reported delays of over two hours. Commuters reported that traffic was heavy in both lanes towards Lonavala. After the Lonavala area and the ghat were passed, the traffic congestion situation was better. Visuals from the scene showed long lines of vehicles stretching across the hillside, with no clear signs of traffic easing.
Among those caught in the jam was Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) MP from Baramati, Supriya Sule, who was travelling from Mumbai to Pune. She recorded a video from her car showing the extent of the congestion. In the footage, vehicles can be seen lined up across lanes with little to no movement.
Speaking about the situation, Sule said that people, including children and senior citizens, had been stuck for hours. She noted that from her vantage point in the Ghat, not a single vehicle appeared to be moving. She added that while the view might look scenic, it was causing serious inconvenience to commuters.
Sule said it was unclear whether the inauguration event of the Missing Link project had contributed to the traffic jam. She pointed out that congestion in the Ghat is a daily issue, but the scale of the delay on Friday was severe, with people stranded for nearly two hours without movement.
She also highlighted that such delays have become routine for travellers on this route. According to her, the time taken to cross the Ghat varies widely, sometimes taking just 20 minutes and at other times extending to two hours or more.
Sule urged the government and police authorities to take immediate steps to manage the situation. She called for better traffic control and deployment of additional personnel if needed. She stressed that the issue affects thousands of daily commuters and requires a long-term solution.
Authorities are yet to officially confirm the exact cause of the congestion. However, netizens on social media have claimed that as this is a long weekend due to Labour Day, many people are going to Lonavala and Khandala for a trip. Meanwhile, commuters continue to face delays, underlining the urgent need for effective traffic management on the expressway, especially during peak travel periods.
Crime
Fake social media account, Chat GPT used in Ketan Agarwal murder

Pune, Sep 20: A fake account on social media platform Instagram, along with ChatGPT and murder films, was used by Siya Goyal and her co-accused in the alleged murder of her fiance Ketan Agarwal, reveals the charge sheet filed by the police in the sensational case.
The 5,053-page charge sheet, filed on Saturday, detailed the alleged conspiracy behind the death of the 26-year-old businessman at Lohagad Fort in Pune in June, NDTV reported.
Agarwal was allegedly pushed off the fort on June 18 by his fiancee Siya Goyal, who was assisted by her purported lover Chetan Chaudhary, and another accused, identified as Ritesh Hange. All three have been arrested by the police.
According to the charge sheet, the accused had initially discussed seriously injuring Agarwal and even explored the possibility of hiring someone from outside Maharashtra to carry out the attack.
Police claimed the plan was later dropped because they feared the hired assailant could expose the conspiracy or create problems for them. Investigators have mentioned that a person contacted during this stage has since become a witness, the media report said.
As per the charge sheet, the accused subsequently decided to kill Agarwal themselves and watched murder films and used ChatGPT for the purpose. They also listened to podcasts on how to avoid detection by police as part of their preparations.
Goyal and her co-accused also researched last year’s Meghalaya honeymoon murder case where Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, during the couple’s honeymoon in the state’s East Khasi Hills district.
Moreover, investigators stated that a fake Instagram account named ‘Mahi’ was created using the photograph of a woman known to the accused in order to “lure” Agarwal to the fort.
Subsequently, messages from the account encouraged the victim to visit the spot on June 18 for a surprise birthday plan for Goyal.
According to the chargesheet, the fake account was part of a plan devised by Ritesh Hange to bring Agarwal to the fort. The account was deleted after the incident.
Further, the charge sheet also revealed that the accused conducted a recce of locations around Lonavala before selecting Lohagad Fort.
According to investigators, Goyal and Chaudhary visited Tiger Point and other locations in search of an isolated spot.
Police said that Lohagad was eventually selected because of a death at the fort in March last year. The accused thought they could make Agarwal’s death appear like an accidental fall at the spot.
Crime
Stall operator booked after two die of electrocution in Mumbai Lalbaug Ganesh pandal

Mumbai, Sep 20: An FIR has been filed following a tragic electrocution incident near a Ganesh festival pandal in Mumbai Lalbaug area early on Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of two people, including an 8-year-old girl.
Two people, including an eight-year-old girl, died and four others were seriously injured after receiving electric shocks from a loose wire at a Pepsi-Cola stall near Aastha Hospital on Dattaram Lad Marg in Kalachowki, Mumbai, early Sunday.
Police have registered an FIR against nearby stall operator Kamal Shetty under Sections 106(1) and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleging negligence, and have begun an investigation.
According to information from the fire brigade, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on Sunday when devotees were present near the pandal.
Two boys and three girls, aged between 8 and 20, reportedly came into contact with the electrical current and suffered burn injuries.
Following the incident, all five victims were rushed to Masina Hospital in Byculla for treatment. Doctors declared the 8-year-old girl Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav dead upon arrival.
Meanwhile, a second victim, a woman who was admitted to Global Hospital in Parel, later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity was yet to be ascertained.
Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Narsh Hande, 19, Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, and Ruhi Singh, 12, were undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the incident.
Among the injured, one girl was reportedly in critical condition and was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel for further treatment. The remaining three injured victims are undergoing treatment at Masina Hospital and have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where their condition remains serious.
According to the FIR filed at Kalachowki Police Station, the wire allegedly came into contact with the girl, Raghni, and others nearby.
The girl was declared dead at Masina Hospital, while another woman, identified as 33-year-old Sujata Thorati, died at Global Hospital. Four injured persons were admitted for treatment.
Maharashtra
17-year-old among three killed in Mumbai high-end car accident (Lead)

Mumbai, Sep 20: A 17-year-old was among the three people who were killed in a serious accident involving a high-end car on the Mumbai Coastal Road early on Sunday, officials said.
Another person is critically injured and is currently receiving treatment.
According to information received from the Coastal Road Control Room, the accident occurred at around 5.20 a.m. near Lotus Jetty, opposite Lala College.
The car was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding.
The speeding vehicle crashed onto the Coastal Road and hit a boundary wall. It fell off the bridge into an area where construction work was underway.
The severity of the accident was evident from the extent of the damage to the car.
The vehicle tore off through the signboard hanging from the bridge. The roof of the car was pushed inwards, the windshield was shattered, and the bonnet was completely destroyed.
Following the accident, all four occupants of the car were rushed to Nair Hospital, where emergency medical teams assessed their condition.
According to an update issued by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Nair Hospital at around 8.40 a.m., three of the occupants were declared brought dead by doctors.
Two of the deceased have been identified as 21-year-old Shanay Gajjal and 17-year-old Dhirya Seth. The identity of the third deceased is yet to be ascertained.
The injured has been identified as 23-year-old Aditya Oswal.
Speaking about the incident to media, Senior Police Inspector Meena Jagtap said: “At around 5:20 a.m., a black BMW was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali in the northbound direction when it fell from the Coastal Road. There were four people in the car. Three people died, while Aditya is currently at Nair Hospital.”
She said that it is yet to be ascertained whether the occupants of the car were in an intoxicated state when the accident occurred.
Police are investigating the case.
Further details are awaited.
On September 3, several people were booked after Mumbai Police took cognisance of a viral video showing luxury and high-performance cars speeding and racing dangerously inside the Marine Drive-Southbound Coastal Road tunnel.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, three people were critically injured after a speeding off-road SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) hit them near PKC Hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
The driver fled the spot after the crash instead of helping the injured.
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