ALBAWABA- Four Indian police constables were killed Wednesday when their van collided head-on with a speeding container truck on National Highway 44 near Bandri in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.
The incident occurred around midday in the Jhinjhani Valley, where ongoing underpass construction had narrowed traffic to a single lane.
The victims were part of a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) from Morena district, returning from an anti-Naxal operation in Balaghat. Their canine companion survived the crash uninjured. A fifth officer was critically injured and airlifted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, where he remains in serious condition.
The crash mangled the front of the police van beyond recognition, while the truck driver fled the scene, prompting a nationwide search. Bandri Police Station in-charge Sumer Jagat described the impact as “so severe that the police vehicle was completely crushed.”
Authorities have filed charges under the Indian Penal Code for rash driving and are investigating road conditions, vehicle speed, and other contributing factors. The accident highlights longstanding safety concerns on NH-44, a major transport corridor affected by incomplete infrastructure projects.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav paid tribute to the fallen officers, announcing ex gratia payments of Rs 10 lakh (approximately $11,000)to each family and state honors. The tragedy underscores the risks faced by specialized units like the BDDS, routinely deployed in high-risk areas amid India’s ongoing Maoist insurgency.
