An ambulance is typically used to transport patients to hospitals, sometimes carrying individuals in critical condition. Given the urgency, ambulances are permitted to break traffic signals, and police generally do not stop them for checks. However, some individuals have taken advantage of this leniency to smuggle goods, including illegal substances.
This is precisely what happened in Nagpur, Maharashtra, when police chased down bootleggers in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli and arrested them with 10 cartons of desi liquor and 96 bottles of foreign-branded alcohol. The main accused was Dr. Brahmanand Pungati, the in-charge of Pipliburg Health Centre. They were using a government ambulance to transport the illegal consignment, which was valued at approximately ₹50,000. The arrest took place at a checkpoint on the Halewada-Kasansoor road.
Dr. Pungati, who faces losing his medical license, was implicated as the mastermind behind the operation. According to sources, the consignment originated from Pakhanjore or Iranpnar in Chhattisgarh, an area known for inter-state smuggling. Bootleggers in these regions actively transport liquor across borders into Gadchiroli’s remote villages, including Pipliburg, Halewada, and Kasansoor.
It was revealed that Dr. Pungati would host liquor parties at the government quarters near his Primary Health Center (PHC), where he and his colleagues frequently indulged. Police suspect that the liquor was stored in these government quarters to avoid detection during raids. Dr. Pungati’s contract has since been terminated, and his actions have shaken the local medical fraternity. Alongside him, notorious bootlegger Dilip Lekami was also involved, but he managed to escape by speeding away in the ambulance.
Following the incident, Zilla Parishad CEO Ayushi Singh issued an order for random checks on all ambulances in the district.
The ambulance driver (accused Shashikant Telami alias Birja Madavi) told me he was heading to Pipli Burgi PHC with a patient. I was surprised to see cartons and few people inside the ambulance and ordered commandos to check the vehicle. The driver immediately pressed on the accelerator and sped away, but was intercepted 500m away,Akshay Patil, Sub-inspector
The ambulance was initially spotted post-midnight near a command post. Sub-inspector Akashi Patil, in charge of Halewada, is leading the investigation under the supervision of SP Neelotpal. The liquor had been transferred from a private vehicle near Maven Kudri and was en route to Pipliburg. Driver Telami, who first identified himself as Birja Madavi, was arrested along with Saurav Lekami and Bhivaju Renupada.
The accused were in custody from September 16 to 18 but managed to secure bail on September 19.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Yash Kamble/MSM)