Truck driver arrested after encounter in Madhya Pradesh following police officer's death
Gajendra Rawat was apprehended in Alirajpur after allegedly running over Khategaon police station in-charge Dilip Puri on Sunday.
A truck driver, Gajendra alias Akku Rawat, was arrested on Tuesday after a brief encounter with police in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district, according to the Hindustan Times. Rawat was apprehended in Alirajpur after being on the run since Sunday, when he allegedly ran over Inspector Dilip Puri on the Indore-Betul highway.
The encounter occurred within the jurisdiction of the Barotha police station near Dewas when the accused attempted to escape from police custody while being brought back to Dewas. Dewas superintendent of police Aditya Mishra said Rawat was shot in the leg and admitted to a hospital.
Inspector Puri, the in-charge of Khategaon police station, died during treatment after the truck's rear wheel ran over him. The incident occurred during a search for illicit liquor, during which another police officer was also injured.
Police intercepted the Eicher truck and recovered more than 1,800 litres of illicit liquor hidden in secret compartments. Special DG Upendra Jain said the group allegedly smuggled liquor from Harda to Gujarat using smaller vehicles through porous forest borders to avoid checking.
Three people have been arrested so far, including the alleged kingpin Rahul Jaiswal, associate Vijay Rao, and vehicle provider Keram Singh Changod. Police are searching for three other alleged business partners.
A case has been registered at Khategaon Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Excise Act.