Vadodara: A State Reserve Police (SRP) jawan, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, rammed his car into three vehicles on the busy Pratapnagar–ONGC Road on Wednesday morning, injuring two people and triggering chaos in the area.The accused, Rajesh Pandav, a head constable with the SRP, was booked by Makarpura police for rash and negligent driving and under the Prohibition Act. Police said Pandav lost control of his car and hit another car, an auto-rickshaw, and a two-wheeler before coming to a halt in the middle of the road.Locals gathered at the spot and surrounded the vehicle, suspecting the driver was intoxicated. Pandav allegedly refused to step out of the car due to his inebriated condition. Some residents then broke the car’s window glass and forced him out to prevent him from fleeing. Police later found a liquor bottle inside the vehicle. Pandav was arrested for drunken driving and illegal possession of liquor.The incident adds to a growing list of drunken driving cases reported in the city over the past few months. On Jan 27, former India cricketer Jacob Martin was arrested for driving under the influence and ramming his car into parked vehicles in the Akota area. A day later, Virendrasinh Jhala was booked by Akota police for drunken driving on Old Padra Road.Earlier incidents include a Dec 13, 2025 case in which Tinku Vijendrasinh hit a two-wheeler while driving drunk on Old Padra Road, and a Dec 10, 2025 incident where Pratik Borse rammed his car into a two-wheeler on Ajwa Road.In one of the most tragic cases, on Oct 24, 2025, a drunk driver identified as Nitin Jha ran his car over a family sleeping on a footpath near Vishwamitri Bridge, killing a four-year-old girl. In Aug 2025, Nilesh Rajput and Satish Chauhan were assaulted by locals after their car hit a two-wheeler in the Warasia area, while in Sep a drunk constable, Amit Parmar, allegedly created a ruckus while driving in the Makarpura area.
