A tragic accident on a rainy night has claimed the life of a devoted father and hardworking farmer, Rudragonda Baburao Patil, age 48, of Ainapur village in Gadhinglaj taluka. The accident occurred near the Belgundi bend on the Gadhinglaj-Ajara highway around 10:30 PM, when Rudragonda was returning home after securing his daughter’s admission to Class 11 in Kagal’s Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. According to the details, Rudragonda was riding his two-wheeler through heavy rain when the blinding headlights of an oncoming vehicle caused him to lose control and fall. The fall resulted in serious chest injuries. Though he was immediately rushed to the Sub-District Hospital, doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin.
Earlier that evening, Rudragonda had reassured his anxious father over a phone call, saying, “I’ve passed Nipani, I’ll be home soon. Don’t worry.” It was a promise fate didn’t let him keep.Rudragonda was known in the region not just as a farmer but as a guiding force in the community. He practiced organic farming and helped others adopt modern agricultural techniques. After working for a few years in Kolhapur’s MIDC, he returned to his roots—farming. With crops like sugarcane, rice, onions, and vegetables, and a few milch animals, he built a life of dignity and hard work. Despite his modest means, he was determined to educate his two daughters, Kirti and Durva, without discrimination or compromise. Kirti had just passed her Class 10 exams, and he was helping her take the next step toward a brighter future.
Now, his sudden death has left the family shattered. With aging parents and no secondary source of income, the responsibility of educating the daughters and managing the household now falls on his wife, Bharati. The incident has been officially recorded at the Gadhinglaj Police Station, and the village mourns the loss of a man who represented resilience, responsibility, and fatherly love.