Pune couple going to meet their son killed

Kolhapur: A couple from Pune was killed after the car they were travelling in hit a divider and overturned near Bhosalewadi at Umbraj on the Pune-Bangalore national highway on early Saturday. A case has been registered at Umbraj police station.

According to police, the victims have been identified as Amit Appaso Gawade (38) and Anuja Gawade (35). While Amit worked in a private company, Anuja was a medical professional and ran a clinic in Hadapsar, Pune. The couple was on their way to Nittur village in Chandgad taluka in Kolhapur district to meet their five-year old son, who was staying with Anuja’s parents.

A L Gorad, assistant inspector in-charge of Umbraj police station, said, “The accident happened in the in the jurisdiction of Bhosalewadi village 4am on Saturday. Preliminary investigation suggests that the driver lost control of the car, which rammed into a divider, skidded a few metres on the highway and then overturned.”

Police have registered a case against Anuja, who was driving the car, under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304 (A) (causing death due to negligence) of the IPC.

“We immediately rushed to the spot after receiving information from passersby. Both were injured and bleeding profusely. They were immediately shifted to the government hospital in Karad, where authorities declared them brought dead,” said Gorad.

“We noted down the registration number of the car and identified the deceased. We reached out to their relatives by calling the last dialled numbers on their mobile phones. The information we received from Amit’s brother suggested that the couple had taken a two-day travel permission from Pune and were on their way to Nittur village to pick up their five-year-old son. Anuja took his son to her parents a month and a half ago as she feared that he might get infected with Covid-19,” said the assistant inspector.