Mumbai, Sep 4: A tanker driver, after panicking on seeing a police nakabandi, crashed into a police van, injuring five policemen, on Saturday. The driver, who was found to be drunk, has been arrested by Govandi Police station.

On Saturday evening, the Govandi police were conducting a nakabandi at Panzrapol Junction in Govandi. Mahadev Sakharam Pawar, a resident of Aurangabad, was driving a petrol tanker towards Navi Mumbai from Chembur.

When Pawar reached Panzapol Junction at around 5.30 pm, he saw the nakabandi. As he was drunk, he panicked on seeing the police, lost control and dashed into the police van.Head constable, Sukhdev Kolhekar, 46, who was standing behind the van, got his left hand stuck between the two vehicles. As the tanker crashed into the van from the behind, it hit the other four constables. Head constable Ramdas Charolkar, 42, Arun Soni, 40, constable Surekha Pawar, 25 and Sunita Mane, 25, were all taken to Joy Hospital at Chembur. Every one except Kolhekar, has been discharged, who has been admitted with a facture and other injuries. They all belonged to the local arms unit.

Senior Police Inspector Uttam Kolekar of Govandi police station said, “We have arrested Pawar and his medical report says that he was driving drunk. He has been booked under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of Indian Penal Code and various sections under Motor Vehicles Act.”