Two youths die in BSNL duct in Nigdi; police suspect cable theft

Two youths, Manoj Baburao Shinde (26) and Amol Ashok Shinde (19), died after descending into an underground BSNL duct near Lokmanya Hospital in Nigdi Pradhikaran late Wednesday night. Fire brigade personnel retrieved them from the roughly 10-foot-deep chamber around 11:45pm, but doctors at YCM Hospital declared them dead on arrival.

Police detained three people reportedly with the deceased for questioning. Initial interrogation suggests the youths may have entered the duct to steal BSNL cables, though Assistant Commissioner of Police Prashant Dhole said this claim is still being verified. BSNL officials and contractors confirmed they had not sent workers to the site and the deceased were not BSNL employees, raising questions about how they accessed the chamber.

This is the second tragedy at the same location—three workers died in the same duct on August 15, 2025, reviving concerns about underground duct safety.