Accused in Dewas inspector's killing shot in leg, police say he tried to flee custody

The prime accused in the death of a Madhya Pradesh police inspector who was run over by a liquor truck has been shot in the leg in police custody, police in Dewas said on Wednesday.

Gajendra alias Akku Rawat, the truck’s driver, was being brought back from Alirajpur district by a Dewas police team when, according to the police, he tried to escape and attack the officers in the Barotha police station area. The police say they opened fire in self-defence.

“The police took action in self-defense,” Dewas Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said, adding that this led to the wound in his right leg.

Rawat was taken to the district hospital in Dewas and admitted to the intensive care unit. “He had sustained a gunshot wound to his leg,” said Dr Ajay Patel, Resident Medical Officer at Mahatma Gandhi District Hospital. He has since been referred to a higher medical centre.

Inspector Dilip Puri, posted at Khategaon police station, was leading a team acting on a tip-off about an illegal liquor shipment on the night of November 1 and 2. When the truck was signalled to stop on the Harda-Nemawar highway, it sped up and its rear wheel ran over Puri, the police said.

The vehicle was later seized and the police recovered more than 1,800 litres of liquor from it. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a thorough investigation and strict legal action, and teams across several districts launched searches for the suspects.

The police have not said whether anyone else has been arrested in the case.