Kolhapur Tragedy: Mother Dies in Car Crash, Newborn Injured; Police Accused of Cover-up

• Suvarna Rahul Kundekar died in a head-on car collision on Gadhinglaj-Chandgad state highway while returning home with her 7-day-old baby.
• Her newborn and 2-year-old son Rudra were injured but are now stable after being admitted to Gadhinglaj government hospital.
• The accident involved Swapnil Range, a tax assessment officer, whose car collided with Kundekar's vehicle.
• Villagers accused Nesari police of protecting Range and not taking immediate action, leading to a protest and Range's car being set on fire.
• Following aggressive protests and intervention by MLA Shivaji Patil, API Aaba Gadhave was transferred, and the accused was taken into custody.

Why It Matters: A mother's tragic death in Kolhapur sparks outrage over alleged police protection for the accused.