Maharashtra: Man ends life, blames traffic cops for ‘harassment’

Thane, Jul 29 (PTI) A 24-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Thane city died allegedly by suicide, days after he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol, the police said on Saturday.

While Manish Uttekar shared a suicide note on social media claiming harassment by the traffic cops, a senior police official denied the allegation.

Uttekar, who lived in the city’s Wagle Estate area, hanged himself in his home on Friday afternoon, an official said.

The police said Uttekar, who was preparing for competitive exams, wanted the traffic cops to go easy on him in the drunk-driving case saying it would ruin his future.

He was apparently disturbed after learning that the police were initiating legal action against him, the official said.

According to the police, Uttekar blamed “Pushpak and Sudhakar” from the city’s Kopri traffic unit in the suicide note.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Vinay Rathod said, “Drunken driving cases are non-compoundable, so they have to be sent to court. There is no question of letting anyone off by collecting a fine at the traffic office.”

A non-compoundable offence is one in which the victim cannot enter into a compromise with the other side and the case must be tried in court.

“There are no staffers named Pushpak and Sudhakar in the Kopri unit,” the DCP said.

The Srinagar police have registered a case of accidental death, said the official.