In a shocking incident, a police constable was killed by a thief at Wadi Bunder when the policeman was trying to apprehend him during an operation in the wee hours of Sunday. The accused hit a wooden plank several times on the head of the policeman that resulted in his death. The accused also pelted stones on the police party in a bid to escape.
The deceased policeman has been identified as Ajay Gawand, 43 while the alleged killer has been identified as Santosh Bajirao Salvi, 35, a painter and a resident of Ramtekdi in Pune.
According to the police, mobile beat marshal of the police received a call from south region control of police that a thief has entered in BPCL Amunity Building at Chambhar Godi at PD'mello Road in Dongri.
"The beat marshals rushed to the spot. On seeing them approaching, the thief, who had locked himself on the terrace, started pelting stones on them. The beat marshals then sought for more policemen to catch the thief," said an officer from Dongri police station.
Five policemen, including Gawand and two police officers rushed to the spot. "Gawand used a grill of a window on the second floor to climb to the terrace and kept asking the thief to surrender. Gawand was followed by a police informer and a police officer. As soon as Gawand went to the terrace, the thief started hitting him mercilessly on the head with a wooden plank kept on the terrace. The police informer and officer then managed to get hold of the thief and overpower him," the officer said.
Gawand, who was hit at least five times on his head, was then rushed to JJ Hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Salvi was placed under arrest around 6.30 am on Sunday. Around 2.50 am, Salvi had entered the building with the intention to commit a theft. Salvi was later taken to JJ Hospital for medical examination. The police have also seized 5.7 foot long wooden plank that was used to attack Gawand. Salvi was produced before the court on Sunday and has been remanded to police custody till November 24.
Salvi has been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 452 (house trespass), 380 (Theft in dwelling house) and 511 (attempt to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).
Constable Ajay Gawand was a Shiv Chatrapati Award winner for body building in 2005. Gawand's parents stay in Mulund, while he used to stay with his wife and two children at Juinagar in Navi Mumbai. "Gawand was very helpful in nature and this was his second term with the detection branch of the Dongri police," said one of Gawand's colleague.
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