A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of an assistant sub-inspector after he was hit by a pickup vehicle at a check post in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, police said on Friday.

An official said that in the accident which took place under the limits of Mahuljir police station on Thursday, the accused Lokjit Singh, a resident of Narsinghpur district, did not stop at the post, but hit the barricade and the policeman.

He said that the accused was allegedly running away after stealing diesel worth Rs 3,500 from a petrol pump. Petrol pump staff chased him and alerted the police, following which ASI Naresh Sharma (40) and his staff put up barricades on the road to stop the speeding vehicle, the officer said.

He said that after hitting the barricade and the policeman, the accused lost control of the vehicle and it overturned at some distance. He said that the person was immediately caught. The official said the accused has three cases against him, including an accident, tractor theft and offenses under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Superintendent of Police Vinayak Verma said ASI Sharma suffered serious injuries and died in a nearby hospital. “The driver of the pickup vehicle started driving fast after seeing the policemen at the checkpoint near the petrol pump. While escaping, he also broke the barricade installed on the road,” said the SP.

He said a case has been registered against him under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigation is underway. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday had announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a job to the family of the deceased policeman.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)