Balasore: Tension prevailed at Malgodown Chhak near Balasore railway station after an elderly woman was crushed under the wheels of a truck Tuesday, triggering massive unruly protests.
An infuriated mob went on a rampage and vandalised over 60 trucks and ransacked the office of the local truckers’ association. Assets worth Rs 3 lakh were damaged. The agitators tried to set fire to the office of the association and the parked trucks, but their attempts were scuttled.
It was learnt that the killer truck owner was assaulted at the hospital and his cell phone and wallets were allegedly snatched.
According to reports, Sabitri Nayak (60), wife of Gopal Nayak, of Sweeper Colony in Bhaskarganj under Sahadevkhunta police limits, was on her way to a local court at 11 am. A truck hit her at Malgodown Chhak. Locals immediately rushed her to the district headquarters hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
Some local youths who went to the hospital along with the woman assaulted the truck owner Pramod Tarasia who came there to see the accident victim’s condition.
Locals staged a road blockade and gheraoed truckers’ association office. Some entered the office and ransacked the furniture and set them on fire. Truck owners in the office ran out, fearing for their lives.
A group of people went to Godown Area at Bampada, about 8 km from there, and damaged the trucks. Police were deployed in the area. The truck owners’ association said it will file a police complaint against the agitators for vandalism, loot and arson.