Sambalpur: Traffic on Mudipada- Samaleswari temple route here was severely hit Thursday after residents of Ambedkar Nagar staged a road blockade over the death of a Class-IX student in a road accident at Pattnaikpada in Sambalpur the previous day.
Dishant Nayak, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, died after a tourist bus hit his scooter near a club at Pattnaikpada in the town, Wednesday night. Tension continues to brew over the death of the boy as irate residents staged the road blockade Thursday demanding compensation of `50 lakh to the bereaved family and calling for a ban on entry of heavy vehicles to the town.
The agitators put up the deceased’s body at the protest site and demanded action against the concerned officials for allowing illegal entry of the bus inside the town during the no entry period and release of all family members of the deceased and other persons from police custody. Police had seized the bus and arrested the driver.
However, irate locals vandalised the vehicle and tried to set it ablaze. Police foiled agitators’ bid to torch the bus and detained some youths. However, some protesters gheraoed the police station demanding compensation to the bereaved family and release of the detained people. Police resorted to lathi charge to quell the protest and detained 12 persons in this connection.
They relented after administrative officials promised to ban entry of heavy vehicles on Mudipada-Samaleswari temple route and the police agreed to release all the people from custody except for those involved in vandalising the bus after the death of the boy in mishap. Later, the body of the deceased boy was cremated at Rajghat Thursday evening.
When contacted, ASP Harish Pandey said that compensation will be given to the bereaved family as per law while the SP has asked the Traffic DSP to probe the entry of the bus inside the town during the no-entry period. He said that action will be taken against the accused persons after completion of the probe. Later, the passengers of the bus involved in the accident were sent back in a special vehicle arranged by the district administration.
PNN