Dewas, Nov 2 — Police have arrested the driver of an Eicher truck from Alirajpur district in connection with the death of a police inspector who was run over by the vehicle while attempting to intercept it during an operation against suspected illegal liquor transportation in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district.
The development came hours after the incident in Khategaon, where Inspector Dilip Puri, the local police station in-charge, lost his life during the operation.
Inspector General of Police Anurag Singh, talking to the press, said several persons involved in liquor smuggling rackets and who were associated with the incident have been identified, and they are being arrested one after another.
"Last night's incident in Khategaon, Dewas district, is a deeply tragic event in which our Inspector Dilip Puri suffered an untimely and tragic demise. Senior police officials are investigating this incident, and we will get to the bottom of it," Singh said.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the inspector's death and announced financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to his family.
He also announced that Puri's wife would be given a compassionate appointment as a Sub-Inspector in the police department.
According to police information, the incident took place on Sunday night when police teams received intelligence about an Eicher truck allegedly transporting illegal liquor from the Harda side towards Gujarat through Indore.
Acting on the information, teams from Khategaon, Kannod, Satwas and Nemawar police stations were deployed at different locations to intercept the vehicle. More than five police teams were reportedly involved in the operation.
The truck, bearing registration number MP 43 H 4786, was spotted on the Indore-Betul highway in the Khategaon area. During the interception, Puri approached the driver and asked him to get down from the vehicle.
However, the driver allegedly attempted to escape by moving the truck, after which the inspector fell on the road and came under its rear wheel.
Puri sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled from the spot, prompting police to launch a search operation.
Police subsequently seized the truck and recovered more than 1,800 litres of liquor packed in 208 boxes, according to preliminary information.
The incident has also brought renewed attention to the suspected illegal liquor trade in Dewas district, which recently witnessed allegations of spurious liquor-related deaths in Chandana and Binjana villages.
Police said the investigation into the inspector's death was continuing and further details would emerge after the arrested driver is questioned.