Two killed in car-truck collision near Khamgaon; 26.67 kg of ganja-like substance found in car

A car and a truck collided head-on on the flyover at Tembhuna Phata on National Highway 53 in the Khamgaon area on Saturday night. The accident took place between 10.15 pm and 10.30 pm. Both occupants of the car were killed.

The dead are Satish Sayyed Firoz Sakharam Jadhav and Sayyed Firoz Sayyed Mehboob. Jadhav, 53, was a resident of Madakhali in Parbhani district. Mehboob, 46, was from Hingoli.

Police reached the spot as soon as they were informed. The two men, who were trapped in the car, were pulled out and taken to a hospital in Khamgaon for treatment, but both died.

Police were then examining the vehicles involved when they noticed a strong smell coming from the car. Suspicious, they searched the car more closely. In a sack on the rear seat they found 25 packets containing a ganja-like narcotic substance. It weighed 26.670 kg.

The substance is said to be worth Rs 13,33,500. The car involved in the accident is said to be worth Rs 5 lakh. Together, police have seized goods worth Rs 18,33,500.

A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Khamgaon Rural police station. The investigation is being conducted under Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sagar Kadam. Police are trying to establish where the substance came from, what its supply chain is and who else is involved. The probe into the ganja network is continuing.

Questions are also being raised after the incident. Had the accident not happened, would the transport of such a large quantity of narcotics have come to light? While the consignment was moving along the highway, where was the routine checking system? The contraband hidden in the car came to light only because of the accident.