On October 10, Jignesh Sadashiv Khandalkar, a 35-year-old from Hadapsar in Pune, set out to trek Rajgad Fort with two friends. He never made it back on his own.
Khandalkar collapsed near Padmavati Machi on the Pal Budruk route after complaining of fatigue and dizziness. Fellow trekkers and bystanders rushed to help and attempted CPR, but he could not be revived. Personnel from the Archaeological Survey of India, local residents, and electricity board staff carried him down on a stretcher to Velhe rural hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. His body was later sent to Sassoon General Hospital for a postmortem.
Pet Dog Refuses To Leave Owner’s Side After Tragic Death At Rajgad Fort In Pune
https://t.co/2RgMo0DpNj https://t.co/fWsJYY33s5— NDTV (@ndtv) October 13, 2026
His dog Julie was with him on the trek. She stayed beside him as he lay on the mountain. She followed alongside the stretcher as rescuers carried him down. Everyone who was there noticed.
The Part That Stays With You
Khandalkar had brought Julie along on the trek. When he collapsed and did not get back up, she did not leave. Through the CPR attempts, the wait, the stretcher carry down the fort trail, Julie stayed close.
It is a detail that moved the people who were there and the people who heard about it afterward. Dogs do not understand death the way we do, but Julie understood that her person was still there, and she was not going anywhere without him.
What Happened to Khandalkar
He had been trekking with two friends and had fallen behind to rest while they moved ahead toward the inner citadel. The exact cause of death has not been officially confirmed. Velhe police registered an accidental death case and are investigating, with the postmortem results expected to shed more light.
He was 35 years old and originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
