TWO constables attached to Deonar police station were attacked with sharp weapons by drug peddlers at Bal Thackeray Udyan in Deonar on Saturday night. The accused were allegedly consuming ganja when the constables caught them red-handed, following which one of them stabbed the policemen.

The injured constables have been identified as Yogesh Suryavanshi and Bhalerao. The prime accused, Aafan Shaifuddin Khan, 20, who was recently released from jail, stabbed Suryavanshi in the chest and abdomen and injured Bhalerao on the ear. Both were rushed to Surana Hospital in Chembur and admitted to the ICU. Suryavanshi’s condition was critical but has since stabilised, officials said.

The incident occurred around 10 pm while the constables were on patrol. On reaching Bal Thackeray Udyan, they spotted 7–8 men smoking inside the ground.

“When they approached, the constables found the accused smoking ganja. They detained them and informed the Deonar police station,” a police officer said.

He added, “One of the accused, Aafan Shaifuddin Khan, pulled out a knife and stabbed Constable Suryavanshi in the chest and abdomen, and also attacked Constable Bhalerao. All of them fled the spot. The injured constables were rushed to Surana Hospital.”

On Sunday, with the help of CCTV footage, the Deonar police traced and arrested six of the seven accused. One remains absconding. Investigations revealed that Khan had only recently been released from jail and had a history of serious offences.

Meanwhile, additional police personnel have been deployed at Surana Hospital for the security of the injured constables.

This article first appeared on Mid Day