Meerut excise officer dies, 3 others injured in Agra-Lucknow Expressway accident

AGRA: An assistant excise officer (AEO) of Meerut district died and three others, including deputy commissioner of excise, were injured after the SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a divider on Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

The accident occurred near milestone 161 near Nagla Ranwan village of Talgram police jurisdiction in UP's Kannauj district at around 10am.

Identified as AEO Chandra Shekhar (42), the victim hailed from Agra’s Sikandra area and was earlier posted in Mathura district before taking charge in Meerut. He was credited with several raids and seizure of illicit liquor smuggled in state during elections.



According to sources, the excise officer suffered head injury as the SUV flipped over several times. The victim was sitting in rear along with deputy commissioner (excise) Dheeraj Singh, who is resident of Lucknow. In the accident, Dheeraj along with gunner head constable Hira Lal (40) and the driver Sanjay Singh (27) were grievously injured and were taken to Tirwa medical college for first aid.

Talgram police said, “The victims were returning from Lucknow in Chandra Shekhar’s car, when the driver Sanjay Singh lost control over the speeding car on wet bitumen road and rammed into divider. The car flipped several times before coming to halt.”

According to police records in 51 days, 23 including an army lieutenant and UPEIDA expressway patrolling team member were killed and over 30 were injured on Agra-Lucknow expressway.

A recent RTI reply revealed that from August 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, 853 accidents were reported on the expressway in which 100 people died. The freeway was inaugurated on December 23, 2016 and toll services were started from January 19 this year.