Asked to pay for cigarette, Uttarakhand policeman kills shop owner

A police constable killed a 28-year-old cigarette shop owner by crushing him under his car, enraged because the man had asked him to pay for the cigarette he bought . The incident took place on Wednesday in Bazpur area of Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district.

The cigarette seller, identified as Guarav Rohella, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. Following the incident, Rohella’s family members and a large number of local residents gathered at Bazpur police station with his body, demanding action against the constable, who fled after committing the crime.

“In the initial investigation it was found that the incident happened at around 10.30pm when the accused constable Praveen Kumar, his brother-in-law Jivan Kumar and another person, Gaurav Rathore ,came to Rohella’s shop in their car,” said Dipshikha Agarwal, circle officer, Bazpur .

“There, they asked him for cigarette which he gave them. When they started leaving without payment, Rohella asked Praveen to pay for the cigarette which enraged him. He along with his two accomplices started abusing him, resulting in a heated argument between the three accused and Rohella and his brother Ajay who too was present at the shop. It was thenthat Praveen started his car and crushed him under it,” Agarwal added.

Agarwal said the police arrested the three men on Thursday morning. They were booked for murder, intentional insult and criminal intimidation under sections 302, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of a complaint filed by Rohella’s brother Ajay. .

Uttarakhand’s director general of police Ashok Kumarsaid he had taken serious note of the case and ordered the district police to take strict action against the three men,

“No accused would be spared in the case and strict action would be taken against them. I appeal all not to disturb the law and order,” said Kumar.