Police officers were physically assaulted while attempting to remove illegal encroachments directly outside the Dighi police station on Thursday (September 5).

The encroachment department had initiated an operation to clear three juice carts, a tempo, and a two-wheeler that had been parked in a way that obstructed traffic and hindered access to the Dighi police station. However, the situation quickly escalated when three members of the same family violently opposed the operation.

According to the complaint filed by police constable Sudhir Dolas at the Dighi police station, the accused—Kantharam Damodar (52), Ashish Kantharam Damodar (20), and Nalubai Kantharam Damodar—verbally abused the encroachment officials.

They went further, physically attacking the police officers who were present to ensure the operation was carried out smoothly. The accused had blocked the entry and exit points of the police station, making it difficult for both citizens and police officers to move freely.

When the encroachment officers began removing the vehicles, the accused interfered with the process, leading to a heated confrontation. In a disturbing turn of events, they allegedly poured petrol on themselves and even tried to douse the police officers with it, threatening to set themselves on fire.

The situation was eventually brought under control, and a case has been filed against the three individuals under charges of obstructing a government officer from performing their duty and assaulting police officers.

This incident comes amid growing concerns over the rising crime rate in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Over the past few weeks, several cases of violent attacks involving sickles and iron rods have been reported. Now, with criminals brazenly targeting law enforcement officers, questions are being raised about the state of law and order in the city.

Assistant Police Inspector Ambhore is leading the investigation into the matter.