Palghar: The Naigaon Police Crime Detection Branch cracked a complex hit-and-run case in under 12 hours, identifying the victim, determining the cause of death, and arresting the accused truck driver.
On August 2, 2025, around evening, police received a call on emergency number 112 reporting an unidentified body lying on the left side of the road leading to Mhatrewadi, near Juchandra in Naigaon East. Beat marshals rushed to the spot and found the man with severe injuries to his abdomen and abrasions on his chest. He was taken to the General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The body was sent for post-mortem, and inquiries in the area revealed the victim to be Devendra alias Deepak Harish Puri (35), a resident of Sai Sagar Society, Mhatrewadi, Naigaon East.
Senior Police Inspector Vijay Kadam formed two special teams to investigate the cause of death. CCTV footage from the area showed the victim walking alone under the influence of alcohol towards the crime scene. Further investigation led police to conclude that the death was caused by a speeding truck.
The suspect, identified as Shivshankar Salikaram Nishad (52), a resident of Juchandra, Naigaon East, was traced and detained. During questioning, Nishad confessed to the crime. Police said Nishad was driving recklessly and hit the victim near an electric pole by the roadside, causing fatal injuries to his chest, abdomen, and stomach. He then fled the scene without providing medical aid or reporting the incident to the police.
A case has been registered at Naigaon Police Station under Sections 106(1), 281, 125(a), 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 184 and 187 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
