Pune: Three Friends Dead in Road Accident a Day Before Teen’s Birthday
Manchar, 17th July 2025: Three young men from Kolwadi village in Ambegaon taluka lost their lives after a private bus collided with their two-wheeler near Ghodegaon on Tuesday afternoon. The accident occurred just a day before one of the victims, 17-year-old Bharat Waje, was to celebrate his birthday.
The deceased have been identified as Bharat Waje (17), Atharva Khamase (18), and Ganesh Aswale (19). According to police, the trio was travelling triple-seat on a scooter without helmets when the accident occurred around 2:30 pm near Palastika village phata on the Ghodegaon-Manchar road.
Headed to Manchar for Birthday Shopping
As per the family members, Bharat was on his way to Manchar, about 33 km from their village, to meet his sister who had planned to buy him clothes as a birthday gift. Atharva and Ganesh, both close friends of Bharat, had joined him for the trip.
“Bharat’s sister had asked him to come to Manchar so she could get him something special on the eve of his birthday,” said Santosh Khamase, uncle of Atharva. “Atharva and Ganesh decided to accompany him. No one imagined it would be their last ride together.”
Collision with Bus Carrying Pilgrims
According to Ghodegaon police, a private bus from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, carrying pilgrims to the Bhimashankar temple, attempted to overtake the scooter at high speed when the collision occurred.
“The two-wheeler came under the bus while it was overtaking. It got dragged for a few metres before the vehicle stopped. All three youths suffered multiple critical injuries,” said a police officer. “None of them were wearing helmets.”
The victims were rushed to a government hospital in Manchar, but doctors declared all three brought dead.
Police Action
Following a complaint lodged by Santosh Khamase, Ghodegaon police have registered a case of causing death due to negligence against the bus driver under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The bus driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, hails from Uttar Pradesh and is currently being questioned.
