File photo: ASI Nagendra Singh (L) and Constable Sawarkar Pralhad Ramao (R)
An Assistant Sub-Inspector and a constable of the Delhi Police were killed while another was seriously injured when a cab driver, reportedly in a drunk state, rammed his speeding car into the barricades manned by them in Kalindi Kunj area of south-east Delhi on Saturday night.
The accused, identified as Hemant Kumar (39) was arrested from the spot. He was driving a call centre cab which bore a UP registration number.
"He was so highly inebriated that he was not in a condition to talk till this afternoon," a police official associated with the case, said.
The deceased have been identified as ASI Nagender Singh (52) and Constable Sawarkar Pralhad Ramao (41). Constable Kaptan Singh (52) has suffered serious injuries in head and ribs and is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar. All three of them were posted at Jaitpur Police Station.
"The incident took place around 12:30 AM when the three policemen were manning a barricade at Okhla Barrage, picket Kalindi Kunj. The barricades are placed in a zigzag manner in order to slow down the vehicles. Nagender and Sawarkar were on the first barricade when they flagged the car which was coming from Noida to stop," said a senior police official.
Initially, the car slowed down but the driver sped suddenly and hit the barricade. Both Nagender and Sawarkar were dragged with the barricade and the car then hit the second barricade which was manned by Kaptan Singh. They were dragged for several metres before the car came to a halt, he added.
Police said the broken barricade parts had pierced through the bodies of the deceased policemen. The other police men at the spot caught Kumar as he tried to flee.
All the three injured policemen were taken to the hospital where Nagender and Mr Sawarkar died during treatment. "The bodies have been sent to AIIMS for post-mortem," the official added.
An FIR under Sections 304, 186, 353, 332 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Jaitpur Police Station and the accused Kumar, a resident of Indirapuram, Ghaziabad was arrested and further investigations are on," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Mandeep Randhawa.
Nagender belongs to Aligarh and lived in the barrack of Rashtrapati Bhawan, while Sawarkar hails from Maharashtra and was living in Chhattarpur area in south Delhi. Kaptan Singh is a resident of Palwal, Haryana.
Sawarkar, who is survived by wife and two daughters, had joined the force in 1994 and Nagender, survived by wife and two sons, had joined the Delhi Police in 1982.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party today demanded compensation of Rs one crore each for the slain Delhi Police personnel.
"We demand that the Home Ministry, Lt Governor and Delhi Police should give Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased policemen even before they ask for. It is our party's in-principle stand that families of Delhi Police cops who lay their lives while on duty should be given Rs 1 crore immediately," Manish Sisodia, party leader and former minister in AAP government, told reporters in New Delhi.