Maharashtra: Two students killed, three injured as motorcycle falls into roadside pit in Palghar

The incident occured in Kongdi Ghat. Representation pic/istock

Two students died, and three others were seriously injured after their motorcycle slipped and fell into a roadside pit while they were returning to their ashram school after attending a village fair in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in the early hours of Monday in Jawhar taluka. The five students had secretly left the Hiradpada Gagangiri Ashram School to attend the Navratri festival in nearby Sarsun village.

Critical condition

A passing motorist alerted the police. The victims were initially rushed to a cottage hospital in Jawhar but were later shifted to a hospital in Nashik for advanced medical care due to their critical condition.

Security lapses

An Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) inquiry exposed major security failures. The report revealed that non-residential students were allowed inside the premises and CCTV cameras were non-functional. ITDP Project Officer Siddharth Ramkumar has issued formal show-cause notices.

Staff suspended

Following intense public pressure, the school management suspended the headmaster, hostel warden, and night watchman for negligence. Meanwhile, a local organisation has demanded that police register a criminal case against the suspended staff and trustees under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police Speak

An officer, Jawhar police station
‘The students managed to leave the hostel and rode together on a single motorcycle. While returning to the school between 2.30 am and 3.00 am on October 19, their two-wheeler met with a horrific crash in Kongdi Ghat, resulting in the death of two students, identified as Sumit Motiram Bhingal, 18, and Pritam Ganesh Potinda, 15. The other three students sustained critical injuries.'

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