Pune: A shopkeeper in Undri was arrested for verbally abusing, assaulting, and injuring two traffic police officers after they attempted to clear illegally parked vehicles that were causing a traffic jam. The accused, identified as Ganesh Laxman Kadam (40), was taken into custody by Kalepadal Police.
Police constable Umesh Raju Dabhekar filed a complaint against Kadam at Kalepadal Police Station. The incident occurred around 5:45 PM on April 1 at Undri Chowk.
Traffic constables Umesh Dabhekar and Ashok Mhaske were regulating traffic at Undri Chowk when an auto-rickshaw driver alerted them about a man near Shankar Temple who was abusing pedestrians and pushing parked two-wheelers onto the road, creating a traffic obstruction.
Upon reaching the spot, the officers found the accused shouting loudly, kicking bikes, and pushing them onto the road, which had caused a severe traffic jam. As they started removing the displaced vehicles, Ganesh Kadam approached them aggressively.
Kadam, furious over the removal of vehicles in front of his shop, began abusing the officers. He then grabbed constable Dabhekar by the collar and slapped him. When officer Ashok Mhaske attempted to intervene, Kadam tore two buttons from Dabhekar’s uniform and ripped off his nameplate. Mhaske’s right shoulder epaulet was also torn in the altercation.
As the situation escalated, a large crowd gathered at Undri Chowk. Despite repeated efforts to calm Kadam down, he continued to charge at the officers while shouting abuses. Eventually, bystanders stepped in and physically restrained him before handing him over to the police. The Kalepadal Police have arrested Ganesh Kadam, and further investigation is underway.