Photo : The two cops 

By Tejas Navale 

Pune: The Pune police have successfully arrested the prime accused in the hit-and-run case that took place at Bopodi on Sunday midnight, in which one police constable died. The arrested accused has been identified as Siddharth alias Gotya Kengar, and it has been found that the accused was inebriated while driving the car on Sunday.

On Sunday, July 7, the police constables of Khadki police station, Samadhan Anantrao Koli and Sanjog Shyam Shinde, were patrolling the area. While going from the Bopodi area at around 1.30 a.m. in the night, a speeding car hit the two-wheeler from behind, and constable Samadhan Koli died on the spot. The other police constable, Sanjog Shinde, received major injuries in the accident and was promptly admitted to the Ruby Hospital for treatment.

Shockingly, the accused, Siddharth Kengar, absconded from the scene after the accident, leaving two police officers injured on the road. After that, the police commissioner, Amitesh Kumar, ordered the investigation of the accused with the help of available CCTV footage of the area. Accordingly, police arrested Siddharth Kengar from his house on Tuesday.

The police also detained his two accomplices, Robin Athavale and Siddharth Lalbige, who were present in the car at the time of the accident. "The two accused were released after the investigation, whereas the main accused has been detained," said police commissioner Amitesh Kumar. The main accused, Siddharth Kengar, was presented at Shivajingar court on Tuesday. He has been sentenced to one-day police custody by the court.

During the interrogation, the accused admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol. On the night of July 7, he and two friends were returning from a birthday party in Vishrantwadi. Despite being intoxicated, the accused chose to drive. He confessed that a two-wheeler had overtaken him at a high speed, which provoked him to accelerate in a fit of rage, leading to the accident.

After this discovery, Pune police have intensified their action against drink-and-drive cases, and they have taken the decision to suspend the licenses of people who were found driving the car under the influence of alcohol. Pune police deputy commissioner, Rohidas Pawar, has informed about it on Tuesday.