Speeding SUV hits barricade at police checkpoint, injures home guard

Gurugram: A home guard was injured while a police head constable escaped narrowly in the early hours of Sunday when a speeding SUV allegedly hit a barricade near

Gurugram: A home guard was injured while a police head constable escaped narrowly in the early hours of Sunday when a speeding SUV allegedly hit a barricade near a police checkpoint at Gwal Pahari on Gurgaon-Faridbabad road. The 25-year-old SUV driver was in an inebriated state, the police said, adding that he was arrested from the Gurugram-Faridabad toll plaza soon after he escaped from the checkpoint.

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According to the police, the SUV, a Toyota Fortuner, also hit a motorcycle near the checkpoint. The home guard sustained a fracture in his leg, while the motorcycle rider sustained minor injuries.

The SUV driver was identified as Shivan Kaushik, a resident of Faridabad. He runs his own business of plastic utensils, the police said.

The incident took place around 12.30am on Sunday when Kaushik was returning to Faridabad after attending a birthday party near Sahara mall on Mehrauli-Gurgaon road. The police said that during the interrogation, Kaushik claimed that two of his friends were also travelling in his car but they escaped before he was caught. The police have not confirmed his claim.

In a police complaint, Harish Kumar, the head constable who was present at the checkpoint with five other police officials, said that they saw the SUV travelling towards them at a high speed when it hit a motorcycle rider. Kumar said that the car then stopped for a while and again began travelling towards them.

“I signalled the driver to stop, but he did not and hit a barricade. I narrowly escaped from being hit, but a home guard sustained a fracture in his leg after the barricade fell on his leg,” Kumar said in the first information report (FIR). He further said that other police officials on the spot also tried to stop the SUV but it hit another barricade and fled the spot.

“I immediately called the police control room (PCR) and gave them the information regarding the incident. The SUV bearing a Delhi registration number went towards Faridabad. The driver was arrested at the Gurugram-Faridabad toll, few minutes after the incident. During the interrogation, he said that he was drunk and wanted to escape the checkpoint. We are investigating the case,” Kumar said.

A case was registered against the accused under relevant sections, including Section 279 (rash driving), Section 333 (whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant), and Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at DLF Phase-1 police station on Sunday.

Kaushik was produced before a court on Sunday and sent to judicial custody, the police said.