Keonjhar: A 22-year-old youth was killed on the spot after being run over by a 14-wheeler truck at an area in Banspal block of this district Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Santosh Dehuri of Binida village in the same district.
Locals said that Santosh was the sole earning member of his family. He is survived by his elderly parents, wife and a two-month-old son. The mishap occurred when Santosh was returning home from his workplace at around 11.00 pm, Wednesday. The death of the youth sparked tension in the area with the locals setting the ‘killer’ truck on fire. However, the driver and his assistant managed to flee the spot. Family members and villagers guarded the body all night and blocked the road demanding compensation.
On being informed, police reached the spot but were confronted by an irate group of villagers. A scuffle broke out between villagers and the police. Phul Jenis Jinia, officer-in-charge (OIC) of Suakati police outpost, sustained critical injuries during the scuffle with the mob. He was first admitted to the Banspal community health centre at night but later, shifted to the district headquarters hospital here. Later Thursday he was sent to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, sources said.
Locals complained about police atrocity Wednesday night. They said that a contingent of police arrived in Binida village, which is two kilometres away from the accident spot. It has been alleged that the cops mercilessly thrashed many of the villagers and detained a number of them. Since then, most of the village has worn a deserted look with many of its residents running away.
Police continued Thursday their efforts to control the situation. In the afternoon, police handed over the body to family members after post-mortem for cremation. Ward member Arvind Dehuri said cops arrested about 25 people including children and took them to the police station. They are yet to be released. He alleged that women had been harassed by the cops and the doors of many houses had been broken open. The sarpanch of Raigoda panchayat said that many innocent people have been taken into custody. “It was a spontaneous reaction of the mob after the accident. We appeal to the police to let the innocent people go and not detain them any longer,” he said. Inspector in-charge of Sadar PS Trinath Sethi said, “We appeal to the people to maintain peace. After an inquiry, the details would emerge,” he said.