You are here: Home > Pune > NRI saves rs 100, lands in jail

Former CEO leads police on a wild chase to avoid parking fine; cop jumps on bonnet and holds on to a wiper for dear life

Kamal Jain (65), former CEO of a telecom major, earns Rs 20 lakh per annum as consultancy charges. But yesterday, the Canada-based NRI tried to save Rs 100 that landed him behind bars. Had he agreed to pay a fine of Rs 100 for parking his Ford Ikon (MH 14 AE-513) in a no-parking zone near Arora Tower in Mohammadwadi, he could have slept peacefully at home. Instead, he is now cooling his heels at the Bundgarden police lock-up.

The incident
In an incident that appeared straight out of a Bollywood potboiler, a constable held on to his life on the bonnet of Jain's car, as Jain drove away in full speed and injured four policemen to avoid his Ford from being towed away. When Jain saw a traffic cop instruct his subordinates to apply jammers on the wheels of his Ford at 11.15 am, the former CEO pressed the accelerator and sped away. But ASI V B Jadhav leapt on to the speeding car to stop Jain.

"I managed to hold on to one of the wipers and the windscreen, as Jain pressed the accelerator. I shouted for my life, but he kept abusing me. He asked me to get away, but had I jumped down, I would have been crushed under the wheels," Jadhav told MiD DAY.



NRI antics
Jain injured four policemen during his antics. DCP Sengaonkar (SB), who was returning from the Circuit House, said, "We were already on alert because there were two VVIPS BJP leader L K Advani and Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari visiting Pune. When we saw Jain dash two motorists while driving at 80 kmph with Jadhav on the bonnet, we knew something was wrong."

Jain created havoc in the city as he drove from ISKCON temple towards Teen Topha Chowk, a place close to the Circuit House where L K Advani stayed. It was only when Sengaonkar fired six rounds at Jain's Ford with his service revolver that brought the car to a grinding halt.

"I had to open fire on the wheels to save Jadhav's life," explained Sengaonkar. Jain stopped immediately and Jadhav fell down with injuries on his hands and head. Jain has been booked under sections 307, 332, 337, 338 of the IPC for attacking policemen and injuring three motorists. If the charges against Jain are proved, he may have to spend three months in jail.