Pune’s Missing Thar Tracked in Tamhini Ghat; All Six Occupants Dead
Pune, 20th November 2025: A tragic case of six missing youths from Koparegaon, Uttamnagar (Shivne), Pune, came to an end on Thursday morning after their Mahindra Thar was found plunged into a deep valley in Tamhini Ghat in Raigad district. All six were declared dead. The group had been missing since November 17, during a trip to Diveagar.
According to Mangaon Police, Crime No. 283/2025 has been registered under sections 106, 125(a), 125(b), and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, along with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The case was filed at 5:22 pm on November 20.
The deceased were identified as Sahil Saad Gothe (24), Pratham Shahaji Chavan (22), Punit Sudhakar Shetty (20), Omkar Sunil Koli (18), Shiva Arun Mane (19), and Mahadev Koli (18) — all residents of Koparegaon, Uttamnagar, Shivne.
As per the complaint filed by Vishal Saad Gothe, brother of one of the deceased, the youths left Koparegaon late on November 17 in a Mahindra Thar (MH 12 YN 8004) for a leisure trip to Diveagar. Family members were able to contact them until midnight on November 18, after which all phones went unreachable.
Worried relatives and friends began a search operation from Pune around 1 am on November 19. They checked the Tamhini Ghat route, Diveagar beach, hotels, lodges, and farmhouses but found no trace of the group or the vehicle. Meanwhile, the father of deceased Pratham Chavan registered a missing person complaint at Uttamnagar Police Station (Missing Person No. 68/2025).
A coordinated search began at 7 am on November 20, involving Rescue Charitable Trust Pune, Shelar Mama Rescue Team Mangaon, SVRSS Rescue Team Kolad, Salunkhe Rescue Team Mangaon, and Mangaon Police. Drone teams were also deployed to scan the valley.
Around 9 am, the Mahindra Thar and six bodies were spotted in a heavily forested gorge near Sanaswadi village limits in Tamhini Ghat. Relatives later identified all the deceased on the spot.
The search and recovery operation was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (Raigad) Aanchal Dalal, Additional SP Abhijit Shivthare, and SDPO Pushkaraj Suryawanshi. The police team was led by PI Nivrutti Bohade along with API Bhairu Jadhav, API Mrs. Lad, and staff from Mangaon Police Station.
