Goa Congress leader dies of snakebite suffered when he ‘knelt to pick up his dropped phone’
Police say Ketan Bhatikar (40) and a friend were returning to Goa from Karnataka late at night when he took a break in a forested area, where the incident took place
Goa Congress leader Ketan Bhatikar died of a suspected snakebite in the early hours of Friday, said police.
Bhatikar (40), a physiotherapist, was the Congress candidate in the recent Ponda Assembly bypoll, which was cancelled after a High Court order. Bhatikar had challenged the order in the Supreme Court, where his plea is pending.
According to police, the incident took place when Bhatikar and his friend were returning to Goa from Dandeli in Karnataka. During the drive, they took a break at Anmod in Karnatka, near a forest checkpoint, where he is believed to have been bitten by a snake. Police said he was brought to a primary health centre in Dharbandora in Goa at 3.22 am in an unresponsive state. He was declared dead around 3.45 am, police said.
Sushant Kavlekar, who accompanied Bhatikar, said, “It was late, around 1 am and quite dark, when we alighted from the car. He (Ketan) dropped his phone, and when he knelt to pick it up, he felt that something had bitten him. We could not see what it was,” Kavlekar told the media.
He said Bhatikar soon began to lose consciousness as they were returning to Goa and was rushed to the primary health centre in Dharbandora.
A panel of three doctors conducted the postmortem examination on Friday. According to sources, the preliminary cause of death is cerebral and pulmonary oedema from neurotoxic snakebite poisoning. Police said the snake bit him on his right wrist. A case of unnatural death was registered, and the body was handed over to the family after inquest proceedings.
Leaders across political parties offered their condolences.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the untimely passing of renowned physiotherapist Dr Ketan Bhatikar. His departure is a profound loss to the medical community. My heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Dr Ketan Bhatikar ji, our young Congress leader from Goa. He was a renowned physiotherapist who served the people with commitment and conviction. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.”
Bhatikar entered politics in 2017, contesting the 2017 Assembly election from Panaji on a ticket from the Goa Suraksha Manch, launched by former Goa RSS chief-turned-rebel Subhash Velingkar. He joined the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in 2022 and contested the election that year from the Ponda Assembly seat, losing narrowly to the BJP’s Ravi Naik. The Ponda Assembly seat fell vacant on October 15 last year after Naik passed away.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa set aside an Election Commission notification dated March 16, announcing the conduct of by-elections to the Ponda Assembly constituency in Goa, terming it arbitrary and contrary to a clause in the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Bhatikar had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order through a Special Leave Petition, which is pending before the apex court.
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Goa Congress leader Ketan Bhatikar died of a suspected snakebite in the early hours of Friday, said police.
Bhatikar (40), a physiotherapist, was the Congress candidate in the recent Ponda Assembly bypoll, which was cancelled after a High Court order. Bhatikar had challenged the order in the Supreme Court, where his plea is pending.
According to police, the incident took place when Bhatikar and his friend were returning to Goa from Dandeli in Karnataka. During the drive, they took a break at Anmod in Karnatka, near a forest checkpoint, where he is believed to have been bitten by a snake. Police said he was brought to a primary health centre in Dharbandora in Goa at 3.22 am in an unresponsive state. He was declared dead around 3.45 am, police said.
Sushant Kavlekar, who accompanied Bhatikar, said, “It was late, around 1 am and quite dark, when we alighted from the car. He (Ketan) dropped his phone, and when he knelt to pick it up, he felt that something had bitten him. We could not see what it was,” Kavlekar told the media.
He said Bhatikar soon began to lose consciousness as they were returning to Goa and was rushed to the primary health centre in Dharbandora.
A panel of three doctors conducted the postmortem examination on Friday. According to sources, the preliminary cause of death is cerebral and pulmonary oedema from neurotoxic snakebite poisoning. Police said the snake bit him on his right wrist. A case of unnatural death was registered, and the body was handed over to the family after inquest proceedings.
Leaders across political parties offered their condolences.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the untimely passing of renowned physiotherapist Dr Ketan Bhatikar. His departure is a profound loss to the medical community. My heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Dr Ketan Bhatikar ji, our young Congress leader from Goa. He was a renowned physiotherapist who served the people with commitment and conviction. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.”
Bhatikar entered politics in 2017, contesting the 2017 Assembly election from Panaji on a ticket from the Goa Suraksha Manch, launched by former Goa RSS chief-turned-rebel Subhash Velingkar. He joined the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in 2022 and contested the election that year from the Ponda Assembly seat, losing narrowly to the BJP’s Ravi Naik. The Ponda Assembly seat fell vacant on October 15 last year after Naik passed away.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa set aside an Election Commission notification dated March 16, announcing the conduct of by-elections to the Ponda Assembly constituency in Goa, terming it arbitrary and contrary to a clause in the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Bhatikar had moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order through a Special Leave Petition, which is pending before the apex court.
