Traffic Police Constable Crushed To Death By Truck On Mumbai-Pune Highway; Driver Arrested

A 41-year-old traffic police constable was crushed to death after a truck driver knocked him down while he was trying to stop the heavy vehicle in Pune district, an official said on Wednesday.

Police said constable Mithun Dhende was alerted about a truck being driven dangerously on the Mumbai-Pune highway on Tuesday night in the Wadgaon Maval area.

"Responding to the call of duty, the constable stopped the truck and signalled the driver to step out. As he was pulling a barricade in front of the vehicle, the driver pretended that he was pulling over, but suddenly accelerated, deliberately ramming into him before fleeing the spot," the official said.

Dhende sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared "brought dead".

The truck driver and his assistant were later apprehended by teams of Pune Rural Police and their counterparts from Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

The accused duo, identified as Rohan Khan and Umar Mohammad, were booked under section 103 (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

"They have been arrested. Further investigation is underway," the official added.