Hanging Cable Accident in Pune: Swargate Police File Chargesheet Against PMC Officials
Pune, 7th April 2026: A chargesheet has been filed in court against two officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in connection with a road accident that occurred last year at Hirabaug Chowk on Tilak Road, allegedly due to a dangerously hanging cable.
The incident took place on April 14, 2025, the day of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti. Around 10 am, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Arvind Patil was riding his Bullet motorcycle towards Swargate when the accident occurred.
According to the complaint, as Patil crossed Hirabaug Chowk, a twisted metal cable hanging from a Gulmohar tree branch on the right side suddenly swung onto the road. The cable got entangled in the front wheel of his motorcycle, causing the bike to lift off the ground. The weight of the vehicle led to the branch snapping, after which Patil and the motorcycle crashed heavily onto the road.
In the accident, Patil suffered serious injuries. The cable severed the ring finger of his right hand, and he also sustained multiple blunt injuries. He was later treated at Rao Nursing Home on Satara Road.
The entire incident was reportedly captured on a CCTV camera installed at a nearby Bank of India branch. Although Patil narrowly escaped with his life, his injured finger has been permanently affected.
The metal cable involved in the accident was reportedly used to support an internet cable. Residents said the cable had been hanging from the tree for several days before the incident. Even now, several cables can still be seen hanging from trees around Hirabaug Chowk, raising concerns about public safety.
Following the accident, Patil insisted on filing a formal complaint, alleging that such hazardous cables are often left unattended due to the negligence and inaction of civic authorities, leading to frequent minor and major accidents in the city.
Based on his complaint, the Swargate Police registered a case (Crime Register No. 101/2025) under Sections 125(a), 285, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against an unidentified person who had installed the cable in a dangerous and unauthorised manner, as well as against the concerned municipal officials responsible for removing such hazardous cables.
After completing the investigation, police have now filed a chargesheet in court against the concerned PMC officials from the Kasba-Vishrambag ward office.
ACP Patil told Punekar News, “Not only these junior officers, but senior PMC officials should also be chargesheeted, as they are responsible for supervision.”
