Maharashtra excise jawan chasing liquor smugglers' SUV killed

NASHIK: A state excise jawan died and three others were injured when their vehicle was rammed on the side at Harnul village on Monday by a liquor smugglers' SUV they were trying to intercept after a nearly 100km chase from Nashik city to Chandwad. The excise team had been chasing the liquor smugglers transporting Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles from Daman to Gujarat via Nashik and Nandurbar.The chase ended at Harnul at 2am between Chandwad and Manmad. However, the smugglers managed to flee the spot.
The deceased excise jawan, who was driving the department vehicle, has been identified as Kailas Kasbe, a 52-year-old resident of Dhruvnagar in Nashik city. The other three men who were injured are Lasalgaon police station constables Shashikant Nikam and Arun Dongre, and Rahul Pawar of the state excise department, Nashik.
Shashikant Garje, the superintendent of state excise department, Nashik, said: "We received information that an SUV carrying liquor from Daman was heading towards Gujarat via Nashik and Nandurbar. We set a trap near Garware Point in Nashik city. Upon spotting a suspicious SUV (GJ 19 DX 8886) at 11.30 pm on Sunday we gave it a chase."
The driver of the suspicious SUV apparently realised that he was being followed and took the Saikheda-Niphad-Lasalgaon route to avoid being caught. The excise personnel sought police help, and the Lasalgaon police joined in the pursuit of the suspicious SUV from Niphad.
Garje said when Kasbe tried to intercept the SUV, its driver hit the state excise vehicle from the side near Harnul village. The excise vehicle, also an SUV, toppled. This caused Kasbe's death and also left three others injured. State excise officials said the chase, which started at Garware Point at 11.30 pm on Sunday, ended almost 100km away in Harnul village at 2 am on Monday. A total of 10 personnel and three vehicles were involved in the pursuit of the liquor-laden SUV.
Garje said the police and state excise personnel are searching for the SUV and the smugglers. The Chandwad police, who have jurisdiction over Harnul, have registered a case of murder and attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Kasbe's last rites were performed on Monday afternoon. Garje said Kasbe is survived by his wife, parents, and a 20-year-old son.