Hyderabad: A police officer was killed after a truck allegedly carrying illicit liquor ran over him during an attempt to intercept the vehicle in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district, officials said on Monday (November 02).
The deceased, identified as Dilip Puri, was the station in-charge of Khategaon police station and a 2007-batch Sub-Inspector. He died on the spot after the truck's rear wheel ran over him on the Harda-Nemawar highway late on Sunday night.
Puri was part of a police team conducting checks following information that a truck was transporting illicit liquor from Harda to Gujarat via Indore.
According to preliminary information, Dewas Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra had formed more than five teams to intercept the vehicle. The teams included police personnel and station in-charges from Kannod, Satwas and Khategaon. Barricades were also placed at different locations to stop the truck as police teams pursued it.
Reports said the truck driver had stopped on the highway to drink water when Puri reached the spot to apprehend him. After Puri asked the driver to get down, a scuffle allegedly broke out between them.
The driver then reportedly attempted to flee with the vehicle. Puri fell from the truck during the incident, and its rear wheel ran over him, killing him on the spot.
Police have seized the truck, bearing registration number MP 43 H 4786, which was loaded with liquor, and arrested the driver.
Police officials involved in the operation have identified Rahul Jaiswal, a resident of Harda, in connection with the alleged liquor smuggling network. Smugglers from Dewas are also suspected to be part of the network.
Following the incident, SP Aditya Mishra and other senior police officers reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
Puri was previously posted at the Hira Nagar and Chandan Nagar police stations in Indore. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and the alleged liquor smuggling operation. (with inputs from media organisations)