Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad police are facing two sharply contrasting drug-related developments after an officer died while pursuing an alleged MD seller and a Pune constable was arrested in Telangana with 12 kg of cannabis, according to Lokmat – Pune.
Javed Bagsiraj, an employee of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police crime branch’s anti-narcotics unit, died after suffering a suspected severe heart attack while chasing a drug suspect in the Sant Tukaramnagar area on Sunday night. Police had received information that two people would arrive in the area to sell MD, or mephedrone, following which a team laid a trap and detained one suspect.
The second suspect reportedly fled, prompting Bagsiraj to pursue him. He collapsed while running and was taken by colleagues to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital. The report said he suffered another cardiac episode during treatment and died.
Bagsiraj, who was around 40, joined the police force in 2010 and had served at the Hadapsar, Mundhwa and Pimpri police stations before being assigned to the anti-narcotics unit. He is survived by his parents, a brother, his wife, a 12-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son. His burial was held at a cemetery in Kasba Peth, Pune, on Monday.
In a separate case, Nitin Gyanu Shinde, a constable attached to the Pune city police’s Vishrambaug traffic division, was arrested in Telangana after police allegedly found 12 kg of cannabis in his bag. Shinde had reportedly been travelling from Odisha through Telangana when Warangal district police received information about a suspicious person waiting at a bus stop.
A search allegedly led to the recovery of the cannabis. During questioning, officials reportedly found that Shinde was a Pune police constable and had been working in the Vishrambaug traffic division for around one and a half years.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has suspended Shinde, the report said. The department has also begun preparations to remove him permanently from service. The arrest and departmental action remain separate from the investigation into the alleged transport of cannabis, which will determine the charges and evidence in the case.
The two incidents have placed the operational risks and institutional responsibilities surrounding urban drug enforcement in focus. The first case involves the death of a member of an anti-narcotics team during an on-ground pursuit, while the second concerns an alleged narcotics offence by a serving police employee. Further proceedings in both cases will determine the official findings and legal outcomes.
