Pune: Investigations into the Bopodi hit-and-run incident has revealed that the reckless driver and his two friends had consumed alcohol in a birthday party, and they were trying to chase another car who had overtaken them, when they hit the patrol bike of police constables.

The suspects have been identified as Siddharth Kengar, Robin Athavale and Siddharth Lalbige. Kengar was driving the car, while the other two had accompanied him in the car.

According to police, just before the tragic incident on Sunday (July 7) night, police constables Samadhan Koli and Sanjog Shinde had reunited a lost girl with her parents and were patrolling on their police bike in Bopodi area.

Kengar and his friends had attended a birthday party at a hotel in Vishrantwadi Dhanori, where they consumed alcohol before heading home.

Enraged by being overtaken by another car in the Khadki area, Kengar was chasing the vehicle at high speed. At around 1:45 AM near the underpass leading to Ambedkar Chowk in Bopodi, Kengar's car hit the police patrol bike.

The impact was severe, causing Constable Koli to be thrown onto the car's windshield and suffer a fatal head injury, while Constable Shinde sustained injuries. The accused fled the scene, hiding the car to evade the police.

A passing motorist alerted the police control room, and within ten minutes, beat marshals from the Mariaai Gate Police Outpost arrived at the scene. Both officers were taken to the Khadki Cantonment Board Hospital, where Koli was declared dead. The critically injured Shinde was transferred to Ruby Hall Clinic.

Kengar was presented in court on Tuesday (July 9), where the public prosecutor argued for a seven-day police custody to facilitate a thorough investigation. Blood samples have been taken from Kengar for medical examination.