Fined for traffic violation, Army jawan attacks constable in Pune with cement block

Mangate has been booked for attempted murder and provisions pertaining to attack on public servants. He was arrested after the incident that took place at Budhwar Chowk in Pune around 7 pm on Wednesday. Dhaware is attached to the Faraskhana traffic division of Pune city traffic control branch.

The Indian Express has learnt that while Mangate is currently attached to an engineering formation of the Army in Jodhpur, he has been in Pune from September on temporary duty as an attendant to another Army soldier who is in Pune for his medical treatment. Mangate hails from Mangrul village in Sillod taluka of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra.

“On September 4, Dhaware had issued a challan to Mangate for triple-riding on a bike. The two had an argument at the time. On Wednesday, around 7 pm, when Dhaware was on duty at Budhwar Chowk managing the traffic, Mangate came from behind him and allegedly attacked him on the head with a cement block. Dhaware was initially rushed to a nearby private hospital and from there he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital, where his condition remains critical but stable. Mangate was placed under arrest later,” said Senior Inspector Dadasaheb Chudappa, in-charge of Faraskhana police station. Senior officials visited Dhaware in the early hours of Thursday.

An officer from Faraskhana traffic division said, “On September 4, when Dhaware had stopped Mangate while riding triple, a heated argument had taken place between them. Staff from the local police chowky had intervened. Later Mangate had paid the fine for the challan. We have reasons to believe that at the time of the attack on Wednesday Mangate was not alone and was accompanied by one or two people. We are examining the CCTV camera footage.”

Mangate has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

Considering the nature of crime, Mangate will be tried in the criminal court in the civilian domain, a police officer said. Police said when a uniformed personnel of the armed forces commits an offence against a civilian, the legal process that follows involves the interaction of military and civilian legal systems. The exact course of action varies depending on the nature of the offence and the circumstances. In the cases where the offence is minor, internal military disciplinary action is initiated. Serious crimes can attract either the civilian or military proceedings or both. When the proceedings are conducted in civilian jurisdiction, armed forces personnel are subject to the same legal procedures as any other civilian which includes arrest, investigation, trial, and, if found guilty, sentencing as per local laws.