Drunk driver rams petrol tanker into police van in Govandi, injures 5 policemen

Tanker that crashed into Police van

Police have arrested a drunk driver for crashing his petrol tanker into a police van in Govandi on Saturday evening, injuring five policemen who were on the spot. The driver reportedly panicked after seeing the nakabandi.

On Saturday evening, Govandi police had put up a nakabandi at Panzrapol Junction in Govandi. The driver, identified as Mahadev Sakharam Pawar, encountered the nakabandi while travelling to Navi Mumbai from Chembur.

When he saw the presence of multiple police officers at the junction around 5:30 pm, he panicked and lost control of the petrol tanker. Following which, he rammed into the police van.

Head constable, Sukhdev Kolhekar (46), was standing behind the van and got his hand stuck between the two vehicles. Four other officials, Ramdas Charolkar (42), Arun Soni (40), Surekha Pawar (25) and Sunita Mane (25), who were also standing behind the police van were also injured. They were all rushed to Joy Hospital at Chembur for fractures and other injuries.

Pawar has been booked under booked under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

His medical report has shown that he was driving drunk. Pawar hails from Aurangabad.