A woman police officer in Maharashtra's Karad has landed in controversy after a video of her birthday celebration on a flyover, where four men were killed in a road accident days earlier, went viral on social media.The video shows the officer, Sonal Patil, celebrating her birthday at night on the Kolhapur Naka-Nandlapur flyover, with her new car on October 31. The elaborate celebration featured cake-cutting, photographs and a bouquet of flowers, while golden sparks from a pyro gun lit up the scene.
The officer was also seen posing in front of the car and sitting on its bonnet as the celebrations were filmed for a reel.The clip has triggered criticism, with questions being raised over the use of a public road for a private celebration and the apparent disregard for traffic rules by a police personnel responsible for enforcing them.The controversy has also drawn attention because the flyover was the site of a fatal accident just days earlier. Around 10 to 15 days ago, a car travelling from Kolhapur towards Satara crashed on the same stretch, killing four young men on the spot and leaving two others seriously injured.
The 3.5-km flyover, connecting Kolhapur Naka and Nandlapur, was completed only a few months ago. Since traffic resumed, concerns have been raised over speeding and road safety on the stretch.The viral video has sparked questions over the officer's conduct and whether action will be taken against her for allegedly flouting traffic rules. - Ends(with inputs from Sakalen Mansur Mulani)