Driving drunk, cop rams cab on Barapullah; 35-yr-old driver killed

Police said cab driver Prem Pal was driving his Swift Dzire car towards Sarai Kale Khan when an allegedly speeding Mahindra KUV 100 being driven by constable Mohit Bhardwaj rammed it from behind

A 35-year-old cab driver died when his vehicle was hit from the rear by a speeding car allegedly driven by a drunk police constable on the Barapullah elevated corridor on Friday night, police said. The constable has been arrested and a medical examination has shown alcohol in his blood, investigators said on Saturday.

A police team rushed Pal to a nearby hospital but the doctors declared him dead on arrival. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The accident was reported to the police around 10.40pm by eyewitnesses.

Police said cab driver Prem Pal was driving his Swift Dzire car towards Sarai Kale Khan when an allegedly speeding Mahindra KUV 100 being driven by constable Mohit Bhardwaj rammed it from behind. Pal was not carrying any passengers at the time of the accident.

The impact of the crash was such that the rear portion of the Dzire car was completely damaged. Pal suffered critical injuries in his head and chest. A police team rushed Pal to a nearby hospital but the doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police said Pal was a resident of Agra, and it was not known where he was headed when the accident took place. Officers said his brother, who lives in Jaipur, was informed about the incident.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) RP Meena confirmed Bhardwaj (35) was drunk at the time of the incident. Bhardwaj is posted in the motor transport unit of the Delhi police’s north district. “At the time of the accident, he was returning to his home in Greater Noida’s Jewar. He too suffered minor injuries in the crash. He has been arrested and a case has been registered,” DCP Meena said.

Police said Bhardwaj has been serving in the police since 2009. His father is a sub-inspector in the force.

Investigators said Bhardwaj confessed to have had two pegs before leaving for home. His medical examination showed an alcohol level of 63 mg per 100 ml. In India, motorists are not allowed to drive if the alcohol content is found to be over 30ml per 100ml of blood.

The accident also led to a traffic snarl on the busy road corridor that connects Sarai Kale Khan with AIIMS.