Police arrest three in liquor smuggling case after officer killed, driver sought in Gujarat

Police have arrested three suspects, including the alleged kingpin of a bootlegging ring, after a constable was killed while trying to stop an illicit‑liquor truck, and a hunt is under way for the driver in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. ## What Happened Khategaon Station House Officer Dilip Puri was killed and a constable injured on the Indore‑Betul Highway when the driver of a truck carrying 1,800 litres of illegal liquor drove over the road divider and the rear wheel ran over the officer. ## Investigation The police have taken into custody Rahul Jaiswal, who runs a liquor shop, Keram Singh Changod, who supplied the truck, and Vijay Rao, who admitted working for Jaiswal. A reward of ₹10,000 has been announced for the capture of each absconding accused. Teams have been dispatched to Alirajpur, Dhar, Jhabua, Dewas and Indore districts, and a separate unit has moved into Gujarat, where the driver Gajendra alias Akku Rawat is believed to be hiding. Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said the network stretches from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat and that scientific evidence is being collected. Licences of three liquor shops linked to Patendra Jaiswal in Harda district have been suspended, and an assistant district excise officer and two constables were also suspended. ## Context Illicit liquor smuggling often uses hidden compartments in trucks and disguises the cargo as animal feed or other goods, and routes shift to rural roads when main highways are heavily patrolled.