Two policemen attached to the Shivajinagar police station here were among three persons killed in a road accident at Pootalapattu town in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh early on Sunday.
Police sub-inspector Avinash and constable Anil Mulik, and driver of the vehicle Maxwell, attached to a private travel agency, died in the accident. The driver was reportedly overspeeding and is suspected to have dozed off and collided with the median while negotiating a railway underpass. Owing to the impact the car overturned and was damaged badly.
The victims were pursuing a NDPS case to track down the peddlers who had supplied marijuana to a local peddler, Syed Tousif. The 20-year-old Tousif, a labourer and resident of Yarabnagar, was arrested by inspector Ravikumar M.C., while he was selling drugs to his contacts in the area on Saturday.
Based on his information, a police team, led by Avinash, Dikshith ( probationary PSI) , Bhakta Kumar, ASI, and constables Mir Abdul Hasan, Abdul Rahman, Sharana Basappa, Anil Mulik, and Shivappa Kalagi along with an informant linked to the peddlers, hired two cabs and left for Chittoor to nab the peddlers. While Avinash, Dikshith , Sharana Basappa, and Anil Mulik boarded a SUV, the others got into another vehicle.
Passers-by who noticed the accident rushed to help. Using the phone of the injured, they called the other police team that was ahead. The vehicle of the other team, which was rushing back upon hearing about the accident, developed a technical snag, but somehow managed to reach the accident spot and joined in the rescue work.
The victims were shifted to a nearby hospital where Avinash, Anil Mulik, and Maxwell were declared brought dead. The injured --- Dikshith and Sharana Basappa --- were taken to Vellore hospital. Dikhshith, who sustained a fracture on his right hand, was later shifted to HOSMAT while Sharana Basappa is said to be out of danger.
Avinash, 29, native of Bidar joined service three years ago and resided at Bagalagunte, while Anil Mulik, 26, hailed from Jamkhandi and was residing at Halasuru police quarters .
A pall of gloom descended on the Shivajinagar police station on Sunday. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra expressed their condolences and said that the government would stand by the families of the deceased policemen and extend all help to the injured persons.
