India

Police Inspector Killed While Intercepting Illicit Liquor Truck in Dewas

By Mehul Malpani

An inspector of the Madhya Pradesh Police, Dilip Puri, the incharge of Khategaon police station, was killed on Monday, November 1, 2026, after a truck he had stopped on suspicion of smuggling illegal liquor ran over him. The incident occurred on the Indore‑Betul highway in the early hours of Monday when the truck was halted at a checkpoint. Dewas Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said Puri was leading one of five teams formed to track illicit liquor transport. Police seized the vehicle and more than 1,800 litres of liquor without purchase bills. An FIR has been lodged and a special investigation team has been formed. A post‑mortem was conducted on the deceased officer. Another officer reported that the truck driver and staff fled the scene after leaving the truck some distance away; they are being sought. Puri joined the service in 2007 as a sub‑inspector and had been posted in Dewas a few months earlier. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. The incident comes amid investigations into the deaths of 13 people in two villages in the district, allegedly caused by spurious liquor. In the past week, police arrested 11 people linked to the manufacture and sale of illicit and counterfeit liquor in the region. Following the incident, the government transferred both the Collector and the SP of the district. Opposition leader Umang Singhar criticised the state government on X, demanding stronger action against the liquor mafia. Earlier in September, more than 25 people died after drinking counterfeit, poisonous liquor in Sagar district, prompting the government to launch an operation to crack down on illicit liquor trade. Published – November 02, 2026 12:23 pm IST