Bus accident kills two, sparks furore

VADODARA: In a gruesome accident on VIP Road, two electricians were knocked down by a private luxury bus killing both on the spot on Sunday.
Following the accident, neighbours and other members of the deceased community gathered at the spot and vandalized the bus.

According to eye-witnesses, the biker Pandurang Mahajan (34) and Mayur Baria (20), who was riding pillion, were hit by the bus from behind near Raatri Bazaar. Their bike slipped and one of the bus wheels crushed Mahajan's head. A huge crowd from Mahajan's neighbourhood and community gathered at the spot within few minutes after his family members were informed by the passers-by.

The bus driver had fled by then but the angry mob damaged the bus and broke its windshield and windows. As the situation aggravated, large number of policemen too reached there but the mob continued to pelt stones at the bus. The police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to stop them. The mob demanded that the owner and driver of the bus be arrested first then only they will allow the bodies to be taken to the hospital.

However, the senior police officials, who rushed there, talked to Mahajan's brother and the bodies were taken to SSG Hospital for post-mortem. But the mob refused to leavem demanding the owner and the driver to be called there and arrested. At one point, the situation became so tense that the cops nabbed couple of agitators and made them sit in a PCR van. They were released after intervention of deputy commissioner of police (Zone I) Gautam Parmar and a few local BJP workers.

Two hours after the incident, the mob dispersed and the road was finally opened up. Eye-witnesses told TOI that bus was carrying a wedding party who left from the spot after the incident. The livery of the bus indicated that it was a staff bus of a pharmaceutical company.

Mahajan's brother-in-law Rajesh Mahajan said that the duo had gone for work and were returning to their home near Chanakyapuri in Sama. Mahajan is survived by his wife and two sons aged nine-year-old and eight-year-old. Baria's father works as a security guard in Sayajibaug while his elder brother had finished ITI course few weeks back.