{
  "id": 4478240,
  "title": "‘Went To Steal Cables’: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Probe After 2 Die Inside BSNL Duct In Nigdi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/went-to-steal-cables-pimpri-chinchwad-police-probe-after-2-die-inside",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T18:11:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/went-to-steal-cables-pimpri-chinchwad-police-probe-after-2-die-inside-bsnl-duct-in-nigdi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pimpri-Chinchwad police are investigating the deaths of two youths who entered a BSNL duct in Nigdi Pradhikaran and subsequently died. Police believe the pair, Manoj Baburao Shinde, 26, and Amol Ashok Shinde, 19, may have gone to the duct to steal cables, according to information provided by the three individuals who were with the deceased. However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Prashant Dhole stated that this theory is still being verified. The incident occurred late Wednesday night near Lokmanya Hospital. Police received a call at around 11.45pm that two individuals were trapped inside the roughly 10-foot-deep duct. Fire brigade personnel retrieved the men, but they were pronounced dead upon arrival at YCM Hospital. Three people have been detained in connection with the incident. BSNL officials and contractors told police that they had not dispatched any workers to the location for any work, and the deceased men were not BSNL employees. This raises questions about the motive for their entry into the underground chamber and how they gained access. The same duct had claimed the lives of three workers in August 2025, with police initially suspecting suffocation. The latest incident marks the fifth fatality in the same duct within a year. Police are awaiting the results of medical and post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause of death.",
  "summary": "Pimpri-Chinchwad: Two youths who died after entering an underground BSNL duct in Nigdi Pradhikaran may have gone there to steal cables, police said. The claim emerged during the questioning of three people who were with the deceased. However, police said the exact reason for entering the duct has not yet been established. The incident took place late Wednesday night near Lokmanya Hospital in…",
  "key_points": [
    "Two youths, Manoj and Amol, died inside BSNL duct in Nigdi Pradhikaran.",
    "Police suspect the pair attempted to steal cables from the duct.",
    "Fifth fatality in the same duct within a year, previous deaths in August 2025."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}