Two liquor smugglers arrested for murder bid after trying to run over police team

Nashik: Two liquor smugglers transporting an SUV full of illicit liquor from Daman and Diu towards Gujarat were arrested for attempted murder on Thursday morning after they allegedly tried to run over a police team at a nakabandi point near the Vaitarna police chowkey.Police identified the accused as Kevalkumar Patel (27) of Karambele in Umargam taluka, Valsad district (Gujarat), and Atul Chauhan (32) of Khatiwad, Nani Div, Daman.The Ghoti police have registered a case under Sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 336(3) (forgery), along with other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Prohibition Act. Deputy superintendent of police Harish Khedkar said, "Under the guidance of SP Balasaheb Patil, the Nashik Rural police have been maintaining strict surveillance on illegal liquor, drug trafficking and related activities. Acting on a tip-off that an SUV carrying liquor banned in Maharashtra and Gujarat was heading from Ghoti, a team led by inspector Vishal Shinde set up a nakabandi near the Vaitarna police chowkey."Around 11.20am, the SUV was spotted and ordered to stop. "Instead, the driver allegedly attempted to mow down the officers and sped away. A chase ensued, during which the smugglers abandoned their vehicle and fled. Both suspects, however, were arrested within minutes," Khedkar said.The police seized liquor worth Rs 1.1 lakh and the SUV. Sub-inspector Pravin Ude of the Ghoti police station is investigating the case.This is not the first time enforcement teams have come under attack from bootleggers. A similar incident occurred at the same spot last Jan, when two people from Vapi, Gujarat, were arrested and liquor worth Rs 1.7 lakh was seized.Last Nov, two state excise officials and a policeman were among four injured when a bootlegger rammed his SUV into an excise vehicle during a chase on the Songira-Dondaiche Road in Dhule district. In July 2024, a state excise jawan was killed and three others injured when bootleggers struck an excise vehicle near Harnul on the Chandwad-Manmad road.