Bhopal, Jan 19 (IANS): A policeman lost his life after being shot at from a close range while chasing a group of miscreants in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district.

The incident occurred on Thursday night when a team of police personnel was pursuing the miscreants who were fleeing in an SUV.

An accused fired at head constable Rakesh Thakur in his chest, leading the police team, while chasing the miscreants.

An official said that Thakur died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nagpur city of neighbouring Maharashtra.

Acting on a lead in a theft case, a team of police personnel was chasing the miscreants who were fleeing towards Chhindwara in an SUV on Thursday night.

The officials said that three accused were nabbed on the spot, while the man who fired at the policeman managed to escape.

Seoni Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Singh said the head constable died after he suffered a heart attack during treatment.

He added that three accused identified as Pradyumn Vaishnav (24), Gulshan Das Vaishnav (34) and Janak Singh Khanna (46), have been arrested.

He said that efforts are on to apprehend the fourth accused identified as Saddam.

On Thursday, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Narensh Sharma (52) was rammed and killed by an SUV speeding away without paying for fuel in Chhindwara.

Sharma tried to stop the driver at a checkpoint but the accused mowed him down.