Pune MLAs remark after boy’s death over potholes sparks controversy

Pune: A 10-year-old boy died after the two-wheeler he was travelling on with his father and sister skidded on a pothole and came under a tempo in Mhalunge on Monday evening. The incident has triggered public anger over the poor condition of the area's roads. The victim, Rishabh Sandeep Patole, a resident of Rajyog Society in Thakar Nagar, Maan, was on his way to tuition when the accident took place on the Nande-Mhalunge road.According to local residents, the two-wheeler lost balance because of potholes on the road. Rishabh fell onto the road and was run over by a tempo. He died in the accident. The incident led to angry reactions from residents, who questioned the administration and local representatives over the condition of the road.Hinjawadi MLA Shankar Mandekar on a boy's pothole death in Pune: "If there are roads, accidents are bound to happen." He'd earlier asked residents, "Didn't you see how the roads were here when buying a flat?" Outrage grows over the remarks. pic.twitter.com/rXhvox0AHM— Varad Bhatkhande | Journalist (@VaradBhatkhande) August 19, 2026 Mandekar’s Insensitive Remarks…On Tuesday, citizens surrounded Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Shankar Mandekar and demanded answers over the road conditions. Residents alleged that Mandekar asked them, “Didn’t you see how the roads were here when buying a flat?” His remarks further angered residents. Mandekar also faced questions from journalists about the poor condition of roads, administrative responsibility and the fatal accident. During the interaction, he said, “If there are roads, accidents are bound to happen.”He further said that when a smaller vehicle is involved in an accident with a larger vehicle, a case is registered against the larger vehicle. His interaction with journalists also turned into a verbal spat as questions about the road conditions continued. The MLA later said that land acquisition was delaying road development in the area. He said road projects in Sus, Nande, Maan and Mhalunge were facing hurdles because of the Town Planning (TP) Scheme and issues related to 7/12 land records.Pune: 9-Year-Old Girl Assaulted And Murdered In Junnar; Neighbor Taken Into Custody Mandekar Claims He Has Been Raising Issues…MLA Mandekar, under whose area the belt of Maan, Hinjawadi, Mhalunge and others fall, claimed that funds worth crores of rupees had already been approved for the roads. He also said he had personally spent Rs 3 crore on road-related work. “I have been raising this issue in the legislature for the last two years, but the issue is not getting resolved at the government level. What more can I do?” he said.However, the explanations have done little to calm residents, who continue to question why roads remain in poor condition despite repeated complaints and claims of funds being sanctioned. The death of Rishabh has once again brought the safety of roads in the Maan-Mhalunge area into focus.

A young boy died on Pune's pothole-filled roads, leading to opposition criticism. Local MLA Shankar Mandekar stated accidents happen when roads exist, drawing anger. Residents complained about unaddressed road repair issues despite repeated pleas. Opposition leaders questioned government inaction and accountability for the tragic incident. They highlighted a lack of progress on promised infrastructure improvements.