Jaisalmer: Tension continued to escalate in Rajasthan’s Balotra district Tuesday after the death of a suspected liquor smuggler whose car crashed into a khejri tree while allegedly trying to evade the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the police.Family members of the deceased, along with members of the local community, refused to allow the post-mortem and staged a protest outside Gudamalani Hospital mortuary, demanding an FIR and a copy of the investigation report before the body was handed over. The protest continued for a second consecutive day.The incident occurred on Monday in the Gudamalani police station area when ANTF personnel and the police chased a car allegedly transporting illegal liquor. According to police, the vehicle attempted to flee for nearly 20 kilometres along the Amliyala–Bhaidana Road before losing control and crashing into a khejri tree.The crash left 22-year-old Punesh, son of Ladhuram and a resident of Rawali Nadi village, critically injured. He was rushed to Sanchore Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Another occupant, 20-year-old Praveen, son of Megharam, also from Rawali Nadi, was apprehended by the police.Police seized the badly damaged vehicle, which was loaded with 3,077 quarter bottles of illegal liquor. Investigators said the car was carrying a Keralam registration plate, while a Gujarat number plate was also recovered from inside the vehicle, raising suspicion over the use of multiple registration identities.Following Punesh’s death, a dispute erupted between the police and his family at Sanchore Hospital over the post-mortem procedure. The family later shifted the body to Gudamalani, where another confrontation took place outside the police station, prompting authorities to deploy additional police personnel to maintain law and order.The deceased’s relatives and members of the community placed the body near Gudamalani police station and staged a protest, insisting that an FIR be registered and a copy of the investigation report be provided. Police assured them that any additional complaint submitted by the family would be incorporated into the existing case record, but the protesters remained firm on their demands.Gudamalani Sub-Divisional Magistrate Bhanwarlal Vishnoi and senior police officials held several rounds of discussions with the family late into the night. Around midnight, the body was shifted to the Gudamalani Hospital mortuary.However, the family continued their sit-in outside the mortuary and maintained that the post-mortem would only be conducted after they received the FIR and investigation report, as allegedly assured by the Balotra Additional Superintendent of Police.
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