Woman cop celebrates birthday on flyover where 4 men died in accident, sparks row

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.