Mob pelts stones, torches vehicles after bus mows down 2 in Kolkata
Angry locals went on a rampage and clashed with police at Chingrighata crossing on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass — one of the busiest points of Kolkata — on Saturday morning after a bus reportedly jumped a signal and killed two youth.
According to reports, victims Sanjay Bonu and Biswajit Bhuniya were college students. The bus driver fled the spot after the accident.
Alleging lack of proper vigil at the accident-prone spot, locals gathered in large numbers and rained stones on the cops who came to control them.
Despite caning the agitated mob, the cops were left helpless as protesters set afire four buses, vandalised a police vehicle and attacked a fire engine that came to douse the fire in the buses.
Bhuniya’s mother told a TV channel that he had left home at around 10.30am to buy items for his friend’s marriage.
“The police are responsible for his death. They never control traffic properly at this point,” she said. Her husband runs a cycle repair shop.
The road, which connects the IT sector of Salt Lake with the city, was closed for traffic for hours.
KOLKATA:
Till 2pm, police failed to disperse the crowd that was throwing bottles at them. The cops then resorted to bursting tear gas shells.
The accident comes close on the heels of a number of road mishaps in Bengal.
On January 29, a bus plunged into a canal in Murshidabad district, killing at least 44 people.
On January 17, eight people were killed in Kharagpur in East Midnapore district when a bus fell into a canal.
Locals claimed Saturday’s accident happened due to lack of vigil by the traffic police near the site. The Beliaghata traffic guard stands only a few feet away from the accident site. Locals alleged policemen had promised to maintain proper vigil in the area to avoid accidents.
Local Trinamool Congress MLA Sujit Basu, who reached the spot, said senior police officers will speak to the locals to address their grievances.
“I have spoken to the locals. They want a subway to cross the busy road,” he said, adding that the government will also try to help the families of the two students who died.
Normalcy was restored at around 2.30pm and a flank of the EM Bypass was opened to traffic.