In ‘dry state’ Gujarat, a sub-inspector with the police was killed in a road accident while attempting to intercept a vehicle suspected of transporting illegal liquor in Surendranagar district early on Tuesday.
The officer, identified as Javed M Pathan and assigned to the State Monitoring Cell (SMC), sustained critical injuries after becoming trapped between a police vehicle and the bootleggers’ car, which had breached a police barricade on the road between Kathada village and Dasada town at around 2:30 am.
To capture the bootleggers, the SMC deployed a team that included Pathan and others.
DySP KT Kamariya says that the SMC team had set up the blockade and was waiting for the Creta car that the bootleggers were using to transport the liquor. Both cars tried to breach the police block when the officers noticed the Creta approaching and overtaking a trailer.
“At that time, Pathan, who was attempting to stop the vehicles, suddenly noticed that another car belonging to the State Monitoring Cell was chasing the two vehicles at full speed. The police team attempted to get out of the way but PSI Pathan got stuck in between the SMC car and the trailer. The PSI hit his head on the trailer and received critical injuries,” Kamariya said.
Sub-Inspector Pathan was taken to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Dasada and subsequently transferred to the Sub-District Hospital in Viramgam, Ahmedabad district. However, doctors there pronounced him dead. A case has been registered at Dasada police station.
Gujarat’s Minister of State (Home) Harsh Sanghavi has expressed his condolences on the police officer’s death.
“PSI JM Pathan, an aspiring officer of the State Monitoring Cell while on his way to catch a suspected vehicle full of liquor on Dasada-Patdi road of Surendranagar district has sadly died in a road accident. Gujarat Police has lost a brave hard working officer. A tribute to this brave officer who laid down his life in the fight against prohibition. Heartfelt condolences to his family,” he said in a post.
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