Surat: Four traffic police personnel from Surat and a private individual were arrested on Saturday after Navsari local crime branch (LCB) officials allegedly found Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) in their car during vehicle checking near Endhal village in Gandevi taluka on National Highway 48. The accused, who were returning from Daman after procuring liquor, allegedly assaulted an LCB constable when confronted, then fled before being intercepted near Vesma village following a police blockade.According to Gandevi police, the incident occurred when an LCB team was checking vehicles near Omkar Kirana Store in Endhal village as part of a special drive against liquor trafficking during Navratri. The team stopped a white Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire bearing an ‘applied for registration‘ plate.The car was occupied by four traffic police personnel posted in Region-2 and Region-3 of Surat City traffic police department and a private individual. Police said the occupants appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.When LCB personnel asked the occupants to cooperate with the legal proceedings, they abused and assaulted him with fists and kicks. One of the accused also hit the constable with a wooden stick before the group fled in the car.The LCB team pursued the vehicle and alerted another police team conducting checks near Naz Hotel in Vesma. A road blockade was set up and all five occupants of the car were intercepted and handed over to Gandevi police.The arrested traffic police personnel are Ankit Devda (26), Pintu Dungaisa (32), Dita Chauhan (28) and Rahul Dhrangi (33). The fifth accused, Devraj Rabari (33), works as a diamond polisher. All five are from Banaskantha district, police said.Police seized 64 bottles of liquor, including whisky, vodka and beer, containing a total of 35.55 litres and valued at Rs 35,618. The seizure also included the Swift Dzire, valued at Rs 5 lakh; five mobile phones; three police identity cards; three Aadhaar cards and a wooden stick. The total value of the seized property was estimated at Rs 5.60 lakh.Gandevi police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Gujarat Prohibition Act, Motor Vehicles Act and Gujarat Police Act. The offences include assault, criminal intimidation, obstructing public servants, rioting, alcohol consumption and liquor-related offences.BoxAccused cops went to Daman for liquor while on dutyThe investigation has revealed that all four constables were on duty when they assaulted the Navsari LCB personnel. They had travelled to Daman to consume liquor and were heavily intoxicated while returning. The constables had allegedly not informed their senior officers about the trip, raising the possibility of departmental action against them.The probe also revealed that the car belonged to the father of accused Dita Chauhan and had been running without a proper registration number plate for the past one-and-a-half years. A court has remanded all five accused to police custody.Surat City traffic police department is divided into four regions, each headed by an assistant commissioner of police (ACP)-rank officer. Posting and duty allocations are handled by the respective ACPs.
