Speeding car kills Pune cop in hit-and-run case; accused arrested

Amid the present uproar over the Pune Porsche and Worli hit-and-run cases in Maharashtra, officials on Monday (July 8) informed that they have arrested a 24-year-old man from Pune in connection with a hit-and-run accident that occurred late Sunday night.

The police said the accident, which occurred near Harris Bridge in the Khadki area late yesterday, claimed the life of one constable while injuring another. They said that as two of its personnel were on patrolling duty near Harris Bridge at around 1:30 am, a car allegedly driven by the accused, identified as Siddharth Kengar, rammed into them, killing Khadki police station's beat marshal Samadhan Koli and injuring Sanjog Shinde.

"Both of them fell, and the car driver fled from the spot in his vehicle. Koli lost his life in the accident while the other policeman was injured and is receiving treatment in a private hospital. We have deployed teams to nab the car driver," a senior official said.

Further, another official elaborating on the details of the arrest of the accused informed that the car was driven by Siddharth Kengar, a service center employee, and the vehicle belonged to his friend.

He said Kengar was arrested from his residence after some crime branch personnel spotted a damaged car speeding towards the Pimple Nilakh area in Pune city and gave it a chase.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vijaykumar Magar, speaking of the incident, said Kengar's blood samples were collected and sent for analysis.

"The incident occurred near Harris Bridge at around 1:30 am. Personnel of Khadki police station were on night patrolling duty when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Swift car driven by Siddharth Kengar," he added.

Moreover, it is pertinent to note that the accident comes hours after the Maharashtra Police, on July 7, registered a major hit-and-run case from Mumbai's Worli area, where a speeding BMW car allegedly driven by 24-year-old Mihir Shah, the son of Rajesh Shah from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena, rammed into a couple on a two-wheeler.

While the male member of the family, identified as Pradip Nakhwa, managed to survive the incident, his wife Kavero Nakhwa succumbed to injuries. The Mumbai Police officials said the ill-fated incident, which claimed Nakhwa's life, occurred while she was returning home after buying fish from Sassoon Dock with her husband. As their bike was passing near Atria Mall in Worli, a high-speed BMW driven by 24-year-old Mihir Shah hit them from behind, tragically causing the bike to overturn and throwing both riders onto the bonnet of the car.

While, Pradip Nakhwa, managed to jump off the bonnet, Kaveri Nakhwa could not survive the severe impact of the collision and was dragged for 100 meters before the car fled the scene, the officials added.

Handle hit-and-run cases with utmost seriousness: Maharashtra CM Shinde directs State Police Department 

Meanwhile, amid a rise in hit-and-run cases in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday extended the state's complete support to the victims and families who have had to go through inconsolable grief due to these accident cases.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Maharashtra CM also informed that stricter laws and harsher penalties will be implemented for the culprits of hit-and-run cases.

"I am deeply alarmed by the rise in hit-and-run incidents in Maharashtra. It is intolerable that the powerful and influential misuse their status to manipulate the system. Such miscarriages of justice will not be tolerated by my government. The lives of ordinary citizens are precious to us. I have directed the State Police Department to handle these cases with the utmost seriousness and ensure justice is served. In addition, we are implementing stricter laws and harsher penalties for hit-and-run offenders," the Maharashtra CM said.

"No one, whether rich, influential, or the offspring of bureaucrats or ministers, affiliated with any party, will have immunity as long as I am the Chief Minister of the state. I have zero tolerance for injustice. Let it be very clear, my administration stands firmly with the victims and their families. We are committed to creating a safer Maharashtra for all its citizens," he added.

READ MORE | Mumbai hit-and-run: Speeding BMW rams into couple on bike in Worli, woman killed, husband injured

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