Police officer loses control over SUV, kills five persons

Five persons were killed when a Deputy Superintendent of Police lost control over his SUV near here this evening, police said.

The mishap took place at Kondhapuri near Shikrapur around 4.30 PM when the police officer, Dinkar Mahajan, lost control over his Tata Safari, Sub-Inspector Neel Patrewar of Shikrapur police station said.

Mahajan, posted in Amravati district, was heading towards Pune with his family when he lost control over the wheel and hit four pedestrians, including three schoolgirls, and then collided with a stationary container truck, which was being repaired by its driver and cleaner, he said.

Two of the pedestrians - a schoolgirl and an elderly person - and the container truck's driver and cleaner were killed. Mahajan's wife Meenakshi also died due to the impact of the collision, Patrewar said.

The other deceased were identified as truck driver Kishanlal Kanaram Kumar (20) and cleaner Mahendra Kanaram Kumar (18)- both from Haryana- Varsha Bhanudas Gaikwad and Rajaram Namdeo Gaikwad (73).

The other two schoolgirls were seriously injured and have been admitted to a private hospital here, he said.

Mahajan also reportedly suffered injuries.