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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

Nine killed as car plunges into open well

Deceased belong to same family, six children included Nashik: Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into an open well in Nashik district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths of children in the tragic incident, and said that he has ordered an immediate safety audit of open wells in public...

Nine killed as car plunges into open well

Deceased belong to same family, six children included Nashik: Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into an open well in Nashik district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths of children in the tragic incident, and said that he has ordered an immediate safety audit of open wells in public areas. According to the police, the victims were returning home after attending a function at a banquet hall in the area when their car fell into a well on the roadside near the venue. Personnel from the local police and emergency services arrived at the scene and retrieved the car and its occupants with the help of two cranes and swimmers around midnight. The victims were members of the Dargode family from Indore village in Dindori taluka, the official said. The bodies were brought to the government hospital in Dindori, the official said, adding that a case has been registered. No Escape According to information, the victims had attended a function organised by Wadje Classes and were returning home to Indore village (Dindori taluka) when the accident took place. The car went out of control and fell into an open well located along the roadside, which was completely filled with water, leaving no chance for escape. After receiving information about the incident, Dindori Police, local administration, fire brigade personnel, and disaster management teams rushed to the spot. Rescue operations were challenging as the well was filled with water. The vehicle was eventually pulled out using two cranes around midnight. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the location, and the rescue operation continued late into the night. The incident has raised serious concerns over administrative negligence. Local residents have alleged that the well, located dangerously close to the road, had no safety measures such as fencing or protective barriers. While speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’ , Inspector Bhagwan Mathure of Dindori Police Station stated that the well belongs to accused Rajendra Parvatrav Raje. Despite being aware that the well, located adjacent to a public road, posed a serious risk of accidents and possible loss of life, no necessary safety measures were taken. “There was no fencing, barricading, or protective structure around the well,” Mathure said. Probe Ordered State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the accident spot. He said that the administration has been directed to close the well, and that the government will provide assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased persons. The Nashik collector has been asked to probe the incident and submit an inquiry report, he said. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis termed the accident "extremely unfortunate". Preliminary information indicated that the well had a low boundary wall and was in the middle of a frequently accessed area, he said. The state government has announced financial assistance for the affected family, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to identify and review all wells situated on roads or in areas with public movement. "Such locations must be audited to assess whether these wells are necessary and what safety measures can be implemented," he said, noting that a higher protective wall could have prevented the tragedy. The deceased Sunil Dattatray Dargode (32) Reshma Sunil Dargode (27) Asha Anil Dargode (32) Gunvanti Sunil Dargode (11) Shreyash Anil Dargode (11) Shravani Anil Dargode (11) Srushti Anil Dargode (14) Samruddhi Rajendra Dargode (7) Shraddha Anil Dargode (13)

The Power of Her

Updated: Mar 6, 2025

‘The Perfect Voice’ celebrates strong, trailblazers in this series with stories of women who brave battles every day that serve as an inspiration to the next generation. We have daughters fulfilling their parent’s dreams, victims of domestic abuse rebuilding their lives and professionals dealing with the famous ‘mom guilt’.

Part - 3

Black-Belt Granny

Shaheen Akhtar, Mumbai

Shaheen Akhtar

At first glance, Mumbai’s Shaheen Akhtar appears to be an ordinary, genteel, ‘hijab’ clad woman, out on her normal chores. A close encounter reveals otherwise –Akhtar, 53, is a four-time National Karate Champion, with a steely resolve and packs in a mean set of ‘zuki-uchi’ punches-strikes to knock anyone, down and out.


Just like the Japanese martial discipline, she has climbed her way up with strategic surgical strikes. At present, she is the first-ever woman Referee Commission Member of Asian Karate Federation, and was the only Indian who judged the recent World Karate Federation’s Karate 1 Youth League held in February 2025 in the UAE. Earlier, at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 in China, she worked as the first and only woman ‘Officiating Referee’, raising eyebrows globally, as people yearned to learn more about her.


“I was immersed in karate from the age of 13, since my days at the Christ Church School, Byculla. There I learnt the first of my kicks, stances, punches, blocks and chops. I later completed my B.Com. from HR College, Churchgate and continued to learn Karate. I loved it enough to make it a full-fledged career as a ‘Karateka’ professional,” Akhtar told The Perfect Voice.


Four decades hence, she went kicking-punching her way up, from the Youth League to Premier League, South Asian Championship to Asian Championships, Commonwealth Championship to World Championship, picking up medals, honours and laurels in her discipline for the country, both as a participant and as a referee.


Marriage and family responsibilities didn’t dampen her passion for continued her passion for karate and she continued to serve as the International Technical Official or Officiating Referee and recently as the first woman Referee Commission Member of Asian Karate Federation (AKF), held last month.


In the UAE, she served as referee for all Karate events for men and women where top youth champions took part from different countries, and termed it as “a very crucial and challenging responsibility”, as also in the Hangzhou games.


Explaining her duties, Akhtar says that ‘handling pressure’ is the most critical part of her assignment, when billions of pairs of eyes watch her every move and decisions. “In such global events, participants from all countries perform their best to vie for the top medals. There are top game experts from all the participating countries, sports officials, judges, VIPs, viewers in the stadium and millions more glued to their television sets at home. One erroneous decision on my part can wreak havoc right inside the stadium,” she says.


Inside the ring, she describes how medal-hungry champions from different nations lunge fiercely at each other ‘for the kill’, and the experience becomes a sort of trial even for Akhtar, who is a respected figure world over in karate. “I have to exercise control over these ferocious rivals in the ring, command them to obey and adhere to the rules of the games. If they falter, then there are levels of warnings, penalties, etc. to rein them in… And all under the watchful eyes of many.”


There are exceptional instances when the moderator ‘Kansa’ (match supervisor) may intervene and very rarely the ‘third umpire’ or the video review supervisor could step, but mainly while appealing for points is resorted to.


In her current role, the former four-time national champion, a six-time Maharashtra champion, an 8th Degree Black-Belt holder, Akhtar is ranked as the highest and most qualified female referee for World Karate Federation and Asian Karate Federation in India and in South Asia. Presently, she is passing on her talent and baton to the gen-next through SAMA (Shaheen’s Academy of Martial Arts), affiliated to Karate India Organisation, where she is striving to groom future state, national and international level champions and referees. Her children, daughter Sana Hava and son Ayaan Ansari are also National Champions in karate, and hopes even the next-gen would be inspired by them. “I do hope my long journey can inspire the younger generations to take up Karate as a serious and viable career option."

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