Crime branch officer dies in accident

A police officer attached to the Mumbai crime branch died on Monday when the car he was driving spun out of control and fell into a gorge off the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

A police officer attached to the Mumbai crime branch died on Monday when the car he was driving spun out of control and fell into a gorge off the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

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Sources said police inspector Anant Gawde, 45, who was attached to Unit 5 of the crime branch, was travelling from Pune with his brother-in-law when he lost control of his Maruti Alto near Bhatan tunnel.

“It seems the tyre of his car burst and so he lost control of the car,” said a police officer. The car fell into a gorge and Gawde and his brother-in-law, both, died on the spot, the police said.

RS Agarwal, senior police inspector of Unit 5 said Gawde was on leave and had gone to Pune for a wedding.

“He had been on leave since February 24 and the accident happened when he was returning to Mumbai from his home in Pune,” Agarwal said.

Police sources said that Gawde was assisting with the investigation in the case of deputy superintendent of police Ashok Dhavle, who was arrested last week for being in possession of 1.5 kg of brown sugar.

Gawde was also a part of the investigation team probing the serial murders of minor girls at Nehru Nagar in Kurla last year.

Gawde, the only son of his parents, leaves behind his wife and 17-year-old daughter.