Uruli Kanchan, Pune: Police constable Mithun Dhende, who was posted in the traffic control department, tragically lost his life on Tuesday night after being run over by a truck near Chakan Phata on the Mumbai-Pune Highway.
The incident took place around 9:15 PM at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Chowk. Dhende, who was on duty during a blockade, tried to stop a truck flagged for reckless driving. As he signaled for barricades to be placed, the driver suddenly restarted the vehicle and ran him over.
He suffered severe injuries to the abdomen and was immediately rushed to a private hospital. Unfortunately, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Mithun Dhende, 39, was a resident of Uruli Kanchan and was working at Wadgaon Maval Police Station. His birthday was on the following day, May 14. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and brother.
On Wednesday, Dhende was laid to rest with full state honors at the Uruli Kanchan crematorium. Pune Rural Police paid tribute by firing three rounds in salute.
Senior officials including SP Pankaj Deshmukh, DySP Dilip Shinde, and officers from Wadgaon Maval and Uruli Kanchan police stations attended the funeral, along with local villagers and fellow police personnel.
The truck driver abandoned the vehicle at a parking lot in Chakan MIDC and fled. A search is currently underway to locate the absconding driver.