Told to pay for cigarettes, constable crushes man to death under car: Uttarakhand Police

December 31, 2020

Cheesed off over being asked for money for the cigarette he had bought, the police constable ran his car over a 28-year-old shop owner and crushed him to death late on Wednesday night in Bazpur area of US Nagar district, said police.

Shop owner Guarav Rohella was declared brought dead when he was taken to the nearby hospital.

Following the incident, Rohella’s family members, along with a large number of locals, gathered at Bazpur police station with his body, demanding stern action against the accused who fled after the crime.

A manhunt was launched and the constable and his two accomplices were arrested on Thursday morning.

Dipshikha Agarwal, circle officer, Bazpur said, “In the initial investigation it was found that the incident happened at around 10.30 pm when the accused constable Praveen Kumar, his brother-in-law Jivan Kumar and another Gaurav Rathore came to Rohella’s shop in their car.”

“There, they asked him for cigarettes which he gave them. When they started leaving without payment, Rohella asked Praveen to pay for the cigarette which enraged him. He, along with his two accomplices, started abusing him resulting in a heated argument between the three accused and Rohella and his brother Ajay, who was also present at the shop. He then ran his car over him, crushing him under it,” said Agarwal.

The accused have been booked under sections 302(murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, said the circle officer Bazpur.

Director general of police Ashok Kumar also took serious note of the case and ordered the US Nagar district police to take strict action against the accused.

“No accused would be spared in the case and strict action would be taken against them. I appeal all not to disturb the law and order,” said Kumar.

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