Pune Man, 35, Dies While Trekking Up Rajgad Fort
Velhe, 11th October 2026: A 35-year-old man from Pune died after collapsing while trekking up Rajgad Fort in Velhe taluka on Saturday (October 10) afternoon. The incident occurred at around 2 pm, according to police.
The deceased has been identified as Jijñesh Sadashiv Khandalkar (35), originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and currently residing in Bhekrai Nagar, Hadapsar, Pune.
According to the police, Khandalkar had arrived with two other youths from Pune to visit Rajgad Fort. While ascending the fort via the Pal Budruk route, he reportedly felt dizzy and collapsed unconscious.
Archaeological Department employees Vishal Pilaware and Deepak Pilaware, along with local residents Shankar Rasal, Akash Jadhav and Lahu Kharat, personnel from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) and other tourists, attempted to help him.
As Khandalkar remained unresponsive, he was carried down the fort on a stretcher and taken to the rural hospital in Velhe for treatment. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival, according to Dr Shivaji Kurankar of the hospital.
Velhe police station in-charge Kishor Shewate confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s relatives subsequently took the body to Sassoon General Hospital in Pune for a post-mortem examination, police said.
