SIT formed in Dewas after cop crushed to death in MP liquor smuggling op
Synopsis
A Madhya Pradesh police station in-charge was killed on the spot when a suspected liquor-smuggling truck ran over him during an interception operation in Dewas district. The state has now formed an SIT to unravel the full network — raising urgent questions about the scale of the illicit trade and the risks frontline officers face in combating it.
Key Takeaways
Dilip Puri , in-charge of Khategaon police station in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh , was killed on the night of 2 November 2026 after being run over by a truck during a liquor smuggling interception.
An SIT has been constituted under SP Aditya Mishra to probe the liquor smuggling network, its source, destination, and other suspects.
The truck, registration number MP 43 H 4786 , was seized; liquor was allegedly found in a concealed compartment.
Rahul Jaiswal of Harda has come up during preliminary investigations; the driver was initially detained.
The smuggling route reportedly ran from Harda towards Gujarat via Indore , involving personnel from at least five police teams.
Puri, a 2007-batch Sub-Inspector , was accorded a guard of honour at Khategaon police station.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district to probe an alleged liquor smuggling network, following the death of a police station in-charge who was run over by a truck during an interception operation on the night of Sunday, 2 November 2026. The deceased officer, Dilip Puri, was the in-charge of Khategaon police station and was killed on the spot when the truck's rear wheel ran over him during a confrontation with the driver.
How the Operation Unfolded
Police had received information that a truck was allegedly transporting liquor illegally from Harda towards Gujarat via Indore. Acting on the tip-off, more than five teams comprising personnel from Khategaon, Kannod, and Satwas police stations were deployed to intercept the vehicle, with barricades erected at multiple points along the route.
The truck driver reportedly halted on the Harda-Nemawar highway to drink water. When Puri approached him and instructed him to step down, the driver allegedly attempted to flee. During the ensuing confrontation, Puri fell to the ground and the truck's rear wheel crushed him, killing him on the spot. The truck, bearing registration number MP 43 H 4786, was subsequently seized and liquor was allegedly found concealed in a hidden compartment within the vehicle.
What Senior Officers Said
Dewas Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra described the incident as 'very shocking and unfortunate,' confirming that teams from Nemawar, Kannod, and Satwas had been part of the operation. Additional Superintendent of Police Soumya Jain officially confirmed Puri's death. SP Mishra stated that the SIT would investigate the source of the liquor, its intended destination, and the possible involvement of other members of the smuggling network.
Investigation and Suspects
The driver was initially reported to have been detained, though the circumstances surrounding his formal arrest are still being investigated. During preliminary inquiries, police also came across the name of Rahul Jaiswal, a resident of Harda, as a person of interest. The possible involvement of liquor smugglers from Dewas is also being examined by the SIT.
Profile of the Slain Officer
Puri was a 2007-batch Sub-Inspector who had previously served at Heera Nagar and Chandan Nagar police stations in Indore before being posted as in-charge at Khategaon. Following the postmortem, his body was kept at Khategaon police station where local residents and fellow officers gathered to pay their respects. He was accorded a guard of honour. This incident comes amid persistent concerns about illicit liquor trafficking along the Madhya Pradesh-Gujarat corridor, a route that enforcement agencies have flagged repeatedly in recent years.
Point of View
Yet the operation that killed Puri had to rely on five improvised teams rather than coordinated state machinery. The SIT is a necessary step, but the deeper question is whether political will exists to pursue the supply chain above the truck driver level, especially given that names beyond the driver have already surfaced. In MP, as in several other states, illicit liquor enforcement has historically been more about seizures than about dismantling the networks that fund and protect the trade.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Dilip Puri and how did he die?
Dilip Puri was the in-charge of Khategaon police station in Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, and a 2007-batch Sub-Inspector. He was killed on the night of 2 November 2026 when a truck's rear wheel ran over him after he confronted the driver during a liquor smuggling interception on the Harda-Nemawar highway.
Why was an SIT formed in Dewas?
An SIT was constituted to investigate the full scale of the liquor smuggling network exposed during the operation in which Puri was killed. It will probe the source of the liquor, its intended destination — reportedly Gujarat — and the possible involvement of other individuals in the network beyond the detained truck driver.
What was found in the seized truck?
Police seized the truck bearing registration number MP 43 H 4786 after the incident. Liquor was allegedly found concealed in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle, according to police.
Who else is under investigation in the case?
The name of Rahul Jaiswal, a resident of Harda, has surfaced during preliminary investigations. The possible involvement of liquor smugglers based in Dewas is also being examined by the SIT. The truck driver was initially detained, with the formal arrest circumstances still under investigation.
What route was the smuggling network allegedly using?
According to police, the truck was allegedly transporting liquor illegally from Harda towards Gujarat via Indore — a corridor that enforcement agencies have flagged as a known route for illicit liquor movement in the region.
