Pune: Man drags traffic cop on car bonnet to evade fine, held

Pune: A traffic policeman was dragged on the bonnet of a car for almost one kilometre on a busy road in Chinchwad area near Pune after he tried to stop the vehicle as its driver and another occupant were found not wearing face masks amid the pandemic, a police official said on Friday.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening and the traffic constable, Abasaheb Sawant, suffered a leg injury in it, he said.

The car driver, identified as Yuvraj Hanuvate (49), has been arrested, police said.

“Sawant and other personnel of the traffic police were posted on duty at Ahimsa Chowk in Chinchwad on Thursday evening. They were collecting fine from people found driving or riding without wearing face masks and for other traffic- related offences,” the official from Chinchwad police station said.

“At that time, Sawant and his colleagues found Hanuvate driving the car without wearing a face mask. There was another occupant in the vehicle, who also did not wear a mask. The policemen signaled Hanuvate to stop the car.

However, instead of stopping, the accused increased the speed of the vehicle in a bid to escape,” he said.

“As Sawant was standing in front of the car, he fell on its bonnet and clung on to it. The accused did not stop the car and kept on driving with Sawant on the bonnet for some distance,” he added.

Talking to PTI, Sawant said the accused kept on driving the car with him on the bonnet for nearly one kilometre, before being stopped by other people on the road.

“During the incident, I received an injury to my leg as it came under the wheel,” he added.

Chinchwad police have booked and arrested Hanuvate, a resident of Pimple Nilakh area, under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty) and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act.