Police inspector burnt alive as car catches fire after crash near Dharwad

DHARWARD, BELAGAVI: A police inspector was burnt alive after his car caught fire after crashing into a divider on the national highway near Annigeri in Dharwad district on Friday night. The deceased inspector was identified as Panchakshari Salimath and his body completely burnt beyond recognition.

Salimath, a Lokayukta police inspector, was travelling from Hubballi via Gadag to visit his family when the accident occurred. The car hit the divider, overturned, and caught fire, likely due to petrol leakage and sparks. The fire department and police arrived at the scene, and extinguished the fire.

Salimath’s family identified his body based on a bracelet he was wearing. Originally from Murgod in, Belagavi district, Salimath had recently been transferred to Haveri Lokayukta. Dharwad SP Gunjan Arya visited the scene.

On Saturday morning, Salimath’s body was taken from KIMS Hospital in Hubballi to his hometown Bailhongal, where it was received with honours by the public and police officials.

The police paid their respects to Salimath, and his colleagues were visibly shaken by the news. The funeral procession was attended by many, including police officials and locals, who came to pay their last respects to the deceased inspector. The body was then taken to his ancestral village Murgod for the final rites.