Star scribedies in accident near Solapur

Vyankatesh Chapalgaonkar,Pune bureau chief of the Star Majha television channel,died in a road accident near Solapur on Tuesday.

Vyankatesh Chapalgaonkar,Pune bureau chief of the Star Majha television channel,died in a road accident near Solapur on Tuesday. He was on the way to Solapur to cover the filing of nomination papers by Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and NCP chief Sharad Pawar when the accident took place.

Around 30 km from Solapur,the driver of the Tata Indica private taxi in which Chapalgaonkar and his colleague were travelling lost control over the vehicle that rammed into a bridge at Savleshwar village. While Chapalgaonkar,38,died on the spot,driver Balasaheb Kamble was declared dead at a Solapur civil hospital.

Rajesh Bidkar,the Star Majha cameraman in the vehicle,sustained serious injuries and has been admitted at a hospital in Solapur.

His condition is critical and has been kept under observation for 48-hours.

Chapalgaonkar is survived by his wife,Rupa,also a television journalist with TV9 in Pune,and two sons eight-year-old Param and three-year old Veer.

Attached to the media for over 16 years,Chapalgaonkar worked with Maharashtra Times and Loksatta. Six years ago,he switched over to television journalism and joined Star News before shifting to Star Majha. Chapalgaonkars last rites were performed on Tuesday afternoon at Vaikunth crematorium. Political personalities Suresh Kalmadi,Anil Shirole,Dilip Walse-Patil,Girish Bapat and several journalists attended the funeral.

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