1 cop loses life in hit and run, 1 critical: Had reunited lost 11-yr-old girl with family an hour before they were hit

In the accident that took place around 1.40 am on Monday near Bopodi underpass, constable Samadhan Koli, 44, was killed, and constable Sanjog Shinde, 35, was critically injured. The two had begun their usual night patrolling duty as beat marshals for Khadki around 10 pm.

“Koli and Shinde had found a young girl alone at a desolate bus stop in Khadki. They spoke with the girl who was terrified of having come alone so far from her house. The constables found out that the minor had left the house following some issue with her family, and she walked alone to the bus stop,” said an officer from Khadki police station.

“After taking her into confidence, Koli and Shinde gathered information about her family’s whereabouts, and called the control room mobile police vehicle and dispatched the girl to the police. The two policemen called the assistant inspector who was on night patrolling duty and briefed him about the girl’s situation. The officer called the girl’s mother to the police station, and after questioning her thoroughly, they handed over the minor girl to her mother. This entire sequence of events concluded in less than an hour before the hit and run accident,” said senior inspector Girish Dighavkar, in-charge of Khadki police station.

Vijaykumar Magar, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 4) said, “Their prompt and compassionate act proved momentous to the girl and her family. It was truly an inspiring act.”

Dighavkar said that Koli had been very recently transferred to Khadki from the local traffic division and was assigned to ride along with Shinde on night beat marshal duty since he joined. “Koli had completed around 20 years of service with Pune police and was good at his work. Hailing Vadoda village in Jalgaon district, he lived with his wife and family in Pune. He is survived by his wife, son who is in class 12, a daughter in class 8 and other family members.”

On Monday, all senior officers including police commissioner Amitesh Kumar met Koli’s family members and constable Shinde at hospital. Koli’s last rites are expected to be performed at his native place on Tuesday.