Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 20: Within hours of the Haryana tragedy, in yet another horrific incident a lady police sub-inspector was crushed to death allegedly by cattle smugglers on the outskirts of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, on Tuesday night, when she tried to stop the vehicle during a routine check.
The police said the PSI Sandhya Topno, in-charge of Tupudana outpost in Ranchi, was checking all passing vehicles at the outpost following information that a pick-up truck carrying cattle had started from Odisha and would be passing through Ranchi. The vehicle had managed to dodge patrol teams at two other places before they reached the Jharkhand capital.
As they approached, Ms Topno signalled the vehicle to stop. But the pick-up truck instead ran over her and sped away. The other police personnel on duty went after the truck. The hot pursuit ended with an accident in which the pick-up truck overturned. Nisar Khan, who was on the wheels, was arrested, while another person in the vehicle managed to escape.
Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kaushal Kishore said, “She (Topno) received information that a vehicle is illegally transporting the cattle. When she tried to stop, the driver dashed at her deliberately. She was declared dead in the hospital.” Thee accused has been arrested and the vehicle with which Topno was mowed down has been seized by the police, he said. Further investigation if the act was intentional or accidental was on.
Kishore said, “10 animals have been recovered from the seized vehicle and further investigation into the case is on.” Police are now questioning the arrested accused to find details of the person to which the animals were to be delivered.
Anand Khalkho from Ranchi police association said Ms Topno was a sincere and able officer. “We demand a speedy trial into and strict action against the culprits so that it sets an example,” he said.
Ajit Topno, brother of Ms Topno, said the police officer was on patrol duty when she received information about the approaching suspicious vehicle. “The pick-up van saw police and ran over my sister. This is murder.”
This was the second such incident within a day in which police officers were crushed to death by the miscreants. Earlier during the day on Tuesday, a DSP-ranked officer in Haryana police was mowed down under the wheels of a dumper truck carrying illegally mined stones when he signalled the vehicle to stop for inspection in Nuh. Surendra Singh Bishnoi had received information that stones were being illegally mined near the Aravalli mountain range. The police has managed to arrest the driver who crushed the police officer to death while others occupying in the vehicle were absconding.
The police have also seized the truck which did not carry any number plate nor is there any trace of the owner of the vehicle. A search operation has been launched to trace other accused, the police said. Bishnoi’s body was taken to Hisar, his home town, where he will be cremated on Thursday after his son, who is in Canada, arrived, the police said.
