PUNE: Three people were injured in a crowd-related incident at Shivneri Fort in Pune district in the early hours of Thursday, as thousands thronged the historic site to mark the birth anniversary of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, police officials said. The incident took place at around 3.30 am near the Meena Darwaja area of the fort in Junnar tehsil. According to police, a group carrying a ceremonial torch was making its way down the fort when the mishap occurred. “A group was coming down the fort carrying a torch at a fast pace amid heavy crowding. Our police team present there advised them to slow down,” Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Sandip Singh Gill said. “Meanwhile, someone from the upper side pushed a person, following which four to five people from the group fell. Three persons sustained leg injuries,” he said. Police personnel stationed at the site rushed to help the injured and managed the crowd to prevent further chaos, the official added. “We have deployed additional police force and the movement of people is now taking place smoothly,” he said. Later in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to visit the fort to offer tributes to Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, was born on February 19, 1630, at Shivneri Fort in present-day Pune district.
