2 College Students Run Over In Kolkata, Mob Torches 3 Buses

Kolkata:  At least three buses were set on fire on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata after one of the buses ran over two college students at Chingrighata. The two victims, who died on the spot, are boys from the locality adjacent to the bypass. Soon, locals poured onto the arterial road, stoning cars and the police that had rushed to the spot. 

The police allegedly resorted to a lathicharge to control the situation and that enraged the crowd. The stone throwing intensified and when fire engines tried to reach the spot to put out the flames, those were pelted with stones too. 

The two dead youth are Biswajit Bhuiyan and Sanjay Banik, both first year college students who were apparently crossing the road to go to a shop to buy some sweets.

The local Trinamool MLA, Sujit Bose, rushed to the spot but that did not help calm tempers. Traffic has come to a halt for at least two hours now on the bypass that links extreme south Kolkata to the airport via upmarket Salt Lake, Rajarhat and Newtown. 

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Angry locals also ransacked private cars and taxis. Their anger was also directed at the police. People have been forced to get off stranded transport and walk to their destinations. 

"It was an unfortunate accident but I urge people to remain calm," Mr Bose said.