2 Delhi cops killed in Sonepat after car rams stationary truck amid heavy fog

Police said that the incident occurred at around 11.30pm on Monday when the two were going to Sonepat to follow a lead in a case

Two Delhi Police officers, working on a robbery case, were killed late on Monday after their car collided with a stationary truck near the Kundli border of Sonipat district in Sonepat, Haryana, officers said on Tuesday, adding that it was being probed whether the crash took place because of fog-induced low visibility.

The police vehicle after the Monday night crash. (Manoj Dhaka/HT Photo)

According to police, the deceased officers have been identified as inspector Dinesh Beniwal, 37, who was posted in northwest district special staff, and inspector Ranveer Singh Chahal, 41, who was posted as an additional station house officer at the Adarsh Nagar Police station.

Police said that the incident occurred at around 11.30pm on Monday when the two were going to Sonepat to follow a lead in a case they were working on. “They were working on a robbery case which was reported in Adarsh Nagar. The incident happened when they were on their way,” an officer aware of the matter said.

Katar Singh, investigating officer of Kundli police station, said that they have registered a case against the truck driver. He fled from the spot after the accident but has been identified.

Based on the preliminary probe, Singh said that a truck was parked on the side of the road and the officers could not see it due to dense fog. “The truck had not used reflectors which is why the officers may not have been able to spot it. We have impounded the truck and a case has been registered on the statement of Chahal’s uncle and father-in-law who reached the spot late at night,” he said.

Another officer aware of the matter said that the local police immediately reached the spot. “Beniwal was driving the car and Chahal was sitting in the passenger seat. Since the car crashed badly, it took nearly 45 minutes to pull their bodies out, after cutting the doors of the car. They were both dead on the spot and had multiple injuries,” the officer said adding that locals were also called for help to pull out the bodies.

The bodies were handed over to the families on Tuesday afternoon, after autopsies, the officer said. Additional deputy commissioners of police of the northwest district attended the last rites.

Beniwal was a resident of Bahadurgarh and a native of Jhajjar while Chahal lived with his family in Haiderpur police colony and was a native of Jind, Haryana. Both officers are survived by their spouses and two children — Beniwal was father to a 10-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy while Chahal was father to a 12-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy.