Liquor smugglers crush passerby to death with XUV:Liquor crates, beer bottles; prepared drinks recovered from luxury vehicle

A passerby was killed after being run over by a speeding SUV allegedly used for liquor smuggling in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district on Thursday evening. The accused fled the spot after the crash, abandoning the vehicle on the Obedullahganj-Betul National Highway (NH-46). The incident took place around 6.30 pm near Ghanabadh, before the Narmada bridge. The identity of the deceased is yet to be established. Police recovered more than 10 crates of country liquor, open beer bottles and disposable glasses filled with alcohol from the SUV. SUV found parked on wrong side of highway According to police, the XUV was found parked in the wrong direction after hitting the divider. Its front was facing Budhni, even though the lane was meant for vehicles travelling from Budhni towards Narmadapuram. Investigators suspect the smugglers were driving at high speed on the wrong side of the highway when the victim came under the vehicle and died on the spot. Officials also suspect the occupants were drunk, as open liquor bottles and disposable cups containing alcohol were found inside the SUV. The accused reportedly escaped under the cover of darkness immediately after the accident. Police suspect liquor consignment was headed to another district Police said the abandoned SUV bore registration number MP 04 CN 6193. While more than 10 crates of country liquor were recovered, officials said the exact quantity is still being counted. Preliminary information suggests the liquor consignment had allegedly been loaded from a licensed contractor’s outlet in Narmadapuram and was being transported to another district. Police suspect a youth named Nihal Rajput may have been driving the vehicle, though no official confirmation has been made so far. Highway lights were off, locals allege recurring safety hazard Local residents said street lights on the four-lane highway stretch and the Narmada bridge were not functioning at the time of the incident, worsening visibility and creating difficulties for both motorists and police personnel. Residents claimed the highway lights have remained non-functional for a long time, increasing the risk of accidents on the stretch. Crane reached after 90 minutes, traffic movement affected After receiving information about the crash, Dehat police station in-charge Saurabh Pandey, ASI Dinesh Mehra, head constable Naveen Dubey and constable Kapil Vishwakarma reached the spot along with police personnel. Fearing another accident due to darkness on the highway, police diverted and controlled traffic using barricades and dividers. Officials said a crane was called to remove the damaged vehicle, but it reached the spot after nearly one-and-a-half hours. The SUV was later taken to the police station. ‘They appear to have been drinking’: Station in-charge Dehat police station in-charge Saurabh Pandey said preliminary findings indicate the vehicle was being driven on the wrong side of the road. “Open liquor bottles were found inside the vehicle, raising suspicion that the driver and occupants had consumed alcohol,” he said, adding that the counting of liquor crates was still underway. Rise in liquor smuggling cases in district Police said liquor smuggling cases have increased in Narmadapuram district following the new liquor contract allocations. Authorities have been carrying out frequent crackdowns in recent weeks. There are also allegations of rivalry among licensed liquor contractors, with competing groups allegedly tipping off police about each other’s consignments. Between Wednesday and Thursday, Siwni Malwa police seized an illegal liquor consignment worth around Rs 25 lakh. Earlier, police in Kesla, Pathrauta and Itarsi had also intercepted vehicles allegedly transporting liquor from Betul. Excise officer’s remark sparks discussion Amid the rise in such cases, a statement by district excise officer Arvind Sagar has also drawn attention. He said Narmadapuram district itself is not identified as a liquor smuggling hub and added that liquor illegally brought from other districts is classified as smuggling.