E-Paper
Denied entry into Junnar village, couple consumes pesticide; woman dies
Village became containment zone after four positive cases were reported.
Pune A 40-year-old woman died after she and her husband consumed pesticides after police denied them entry into a containment zone in Junnar. The 50-year-old man, a vegetable vendor, is undergoing treatment in hospital.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening when the couple got into an argument with on-duty police personnel who suggested them to take an alternative route to reach their home in village Umbraj under Junnar taluka, according to the police. The restriction was imposed after four positive cases were reported from the village.
According to superintendent of police (Pune rural) Sandip Patil, the couple was involved in a squabble with police in the past also, but this time they threatened to commit suicide when stopped from removing barrier and asked to take an alternate route. The couple was carrying pesticides with them in the tempo with vegetables.
The deceased and her husband, according to police, were on their way to Umbraj when they were stopped by the police patrol during nakabandi on Tuesday. A war of words broke out between the police and the couple who were returning home after selling vegetables in other villages. The deceased drank poison from a bottle while her 50-year-old husband immediately spat it. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital but was proclaimed dead on arrival.
The quarrel between the couple and police was captured on video by locals in which the husband is seen demanding entry to the village saying that others were allowed. “I am merely asking for entry as others were allowed. I was asked about documents while denying entry,” the man was heard telling grampanchayat member.
Junnar sarpanch Sapna Dangat said nakabandi was in place as a precautionary move to check virus spread.
According to Patil, the policemen had suggested them to avoid the containment route as it was closed with a barricade. “The police requested them to take an alternate route but they did not listen. Even the gram samiti members tried to convince them. The husband pulled out a pesticide bottle, took a sip and then vomited it, but his wife gulped it. We did not wait for ambulance and took her to the hospital, but unfortunately she died,” he said.
The police have lodged a case against the couple under IPC 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and IPC 309 (attempt to commit suicide). The SP said that the family had alleged that the police beat them up, but police personnel did not use any force.
