A police officer died and his colleague sustained injuries when their PCR van was struck by a car illegally transporting country-made liquor in Gujarat's Ahmedabad district, news agency PTI reported citing an officer on Wednesday.
According to the report, the incident occurred during a chase near Kanbha village in Daskroi taluka on Tuesday night when two bootleggers were driving the car. The culprits fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind, and efforts are underway to locate them.
Megha Tevar, the incharge Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad (rural), stated that the PCR van was patrolling the area when it overtook the speeding car, which was transporting country-made liquor. In an attempt to stop the car, it collided with the van, injuring the incharge Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Baldev Ninama and a Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) jawan who were inside the van.
"The PCR van overtook the speeding car which was transporting country-made liquor during a chase. As the police vehicle tried to stop the car, it rammed into the van. An incharge ASI (Assistant Sub Inspector) and a GRD (Gram Rakshak Dal) jawan who were in the van sustained injuries," Tevar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"Ninama succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning, while the injured jawan was undergoing treatment," Tevar added further.
The police discovered country-made liquor valued at Rs 14,000 in the black market. A case has been registered under sections 302 (Punishment for murder) and 307 (Punishment for attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the authorities are working to apprehend the accused.
Efforts are also being made to identify the source of the liquor and the recipients of the consignment.
It is worth noting that the manufacture, sale, and consumption of liquor are prohibited in Gujarat, a state known as "dry" due to the prohibition law.