Mumbai: Two arrested for assaulting police constable in Vakola

Representative Image

A police constable suffered injuries after he was assaulted by an auto-rickshaw driver at Vakola in Santacruz East.

The incident occurred when the constable, who was in plain clothes, was taking an injured man to a nearby hospital. The auto driver refused to transport the passenger over a short distance, and when the constable insisted and questioned him, the driver began to assault him. The constable, who is attached to Vakola Police Station, sustained injuries to his head and face and is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital.

Also Read: Actress held for drug smuggling in UAE, kin says she was scammed

The incident occurred on Monday evening when constable Pradeep Jagdale (39) was trying to help a person with a fractured leg. "As part of my duty, I was trying to help him. Since I am attached to the detection wing of the police station I was in plain clothes. I stopped an auto near the police station to take the injured person to a nearby hospital. The auto driver refused saying that he won't ferry close-distance passengers and asked me to look for another auto. I requested him again but he started abusing and I later told him that I am police constable and showed him my identity card but despite that he refused and started assaulting me," Jagdale told mid-day.

The auto driver didn't stop there and punched the constable and called two men from his locality, of which one was his younger brother. "Trio attacked me in front of the public and no one came to rescue me. I managed to hold two of them, but one escaped. They also used a rod to assault me. I am admitted to a hospital and have got injuries on my head and face," Jagdale added

Jagdale said that locals have been complaining about auto drivers frequently refusing to transport short-distance passengers, which led him to interact with the driver. "It has become routine in the area where drivers refused, and they refused me to despite showing my police identity card where I was trying to help an injured person," Jagdale said.

The Vakola Police Station has arrested the auto driver, identified as Arif Shaikh (33), and his younger brother, Saddam Shaikh (32), while the third individual managed to escape. Rajesh Shinde, Sr PI Vakola Police Station, said that a case under various sections of IPC has been registered, and the accused have been arrested.