Cop killed while trying to catch liquor-laden SUV in Gujarat's Surendranagar

Surendranagar: A 50-year-old policeman was killed while trying to intercept an SUV allegedly involved in bootlegging in Gujarat's Surendranagar district in the wee hours of Tuesday, police said.

The accident occurred near Kathada village on Dasada-Patdi road around 2.30 am, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, sub-inspector J M Pathan, attached to the state monitoring cell (SMC), tried to intercept an SUV allegedly used for smuggling liquor, a release stated.

Pathan and other members of the SMC were standing on a turn blocking the road when a suspected SUV approached them. But the vehicle and a trailer behind it managed to pass the turning, it said.

However, when the officer tried to move out of the way of another oncoming SUV, he was blinded by its headlight and banged against the back of the trailer, he said.

Pathan sustained severe head injuries due to the impact and was rushed to a primary health centre at Dasada and later referred to a government hospital at Viramgam, where he was declared dead, the SMC stated in a release.

An FIR was registered at Dasada police station, and further investigation was underway, it said.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi paid tribute to the "brave officer" for sacrificing his life in the fight against prohibition.

In a post on X, Sanghavi wrote, "PSI J M Pathan, an aspiring officer of the state monitoring cell, died while trying to catch a suspected vehicle full of liquor on Dasada-Patdi road of Surendranagar district. Gujarat Police has lost a brave, hardworking officer. A tribute to this brave officer who laid down his life in the fight against prohibition. Heartfelt condolences to his family." The SMC is a special branch of the Gujarat police tasked with implementing the Gujarat Prohibition Act (Amended) 2017 and the Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887.