(Representational Image)
A kanwariya was killed while another injured when a truck-trailer hit a procession of kanwariyas on National Highway-8 at Kim Cross Road in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar Saturday afternoon. Police arrested the truck’s cleaner, while the driver managed to escape.
The incident trigerred protest by kanwariyas who blocked traffic on the highway for over an hour, disrupting vehicular movement.
The kanwariyas did not allow police take the body for postmortem, and demanded that the truck owner be brought to the spot first and that he should apologise. BJP MP from Bardoli Prabhu Vasava tried to convince them to allow the police carry out the formal procedures, but they did not budge. Police later used lathicharge to disperse the crowd, and allowed only the victim’s family to protest with the body.
Under the banner of Shri Daxeshwar Mahadev Kawad Sewa Sangh, Udhna Surat, over 400 kanwariyas, residents of Ashanagar in Surat’s Udhna area, who are migrants from Uttar Pradesh, had Friday set out for Bharuch to reach Neelkantheshwar Mahadev temple. The accident took place when the kanwariyas were returning to Surat from Bharuch.
Vijay Shukla, president of Shri Dakeshwar Mahadev Kawad Sewa Sangh, said, “The incident took place at 11.15 am when a speeding truck-trailer hit the kanwariyas and then sped off. Two kanwariyas were severely injured. A car passing by spotted the truck and intercepted it a few meters ahead on the highway. The car driver caught hold of the driver and cleaner, and informed police.”
The deceased was identified as Ravi Sharma (24). the injured person, Surendra Tiwari (25), was rushed to a hospital and his condition is stated to be out of danger, said Shukla. Kosamba police lodged an accidental death case. Kosamba police inspector M B Tomar said, “We arrested the cleaner while the driver is absconding.”