AGRA: A 24-year-old constable, Sonu Chaudhary -- who had joined the police force in 2018 -- was allegedly crushed to death under the wheels of a tractor, laden with illegally mined sand, while he was trying to stop it in the wee hours of Sunday in Agra’s Kheragarh area. The accused tractor driver and his accomplices also opened fire on the police party and escaped under the cover of morning fog, said superintendent of police (SP), city, Botre Rohan Pramod.
An FIR has been registered against six people under various sections of IPC, including rioting, murder and attempt to murder, and under sections 3, 57 and 7 of the UP Minor Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1963.
According to the FIR, lodged by sub-inspector Amit Singh, police received a tip-off regarding movement of some tractor trolleys laden with sand from Rajasthan to Agra’s Ahela village. Subsequently, additional police force was called from the police station and barricades were put up at Ahela crossing.
Around 3:50 am, half-a-dozen tractor-trolleys were seen coming towards the crossing but the drivers stepped on the gas on seeing the police. While a few of them sped away towards the village, two tractors hastily moved towards Soan Ka Badda Nagla area. A police jeep followed these tractors and tried to stop them.
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Sonu got off the police vehicle in a bid to stop one of the tractors, but he was run over and crushed to death. Sonu was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Sonu was deployed at Saiyyan police station in Agra for the past one-and-a-half-year, and this was his second posting after Jagdishpura since he joined the police force. The constable hailed from Aligarh and his last rites were performed in his native village Fazilpur Jattari today in the evening.
Sonu’s wife, Priya, had come to Agra just a few days ago to celebrate Karva Chauth. The couple got married only last year on May 8.
Sonu’s mother, Usha Devi (42), is in a state of shock and unconsolable. She refuses to believe that her son is no more. Her husband had died last year and now she has lost her eldest son.
Sonu’s uncle Arun Kumar told TOI that the deceased was the eldest in the family. His younger brother Navneet Kumar is in the Army and is at present posted in Jammu & Kashmir. “Though Navneet was informed about his brother’s demise, he will not be able to attend the last rites as he would reach by tomorrow (Monday) evening or Tuesday,” said Arun Kumar.
“It was a very unfortunate incident. Sonu was a hard-working and energetic policeman,” said Botre, adding that it is a loss for the entire police force. He added that several police teams have been formed to nab the accused.