Locals vandalise trucks, cars as Bhagalpur trader crushed to death

BHAGALPUR: Eight trucks and a private car were torched and more than three dozen trucks and other vehicles were damaged by angry residents of Jagdishpur locality under Bhagalpur district after a trader was crushed to death by a truck on Bhagalpur-Jagdishpur-Dumka state highway late on Monday night.
The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Awadhesh Mahato, a resident of Vaade village under the Jagdishpur police station area.
The incident happened on Monday night when he was riding a two-wheeler while returning to his village. His motorcycle was hit by a private car around 9.00pm in a snarl near Jagdishpur bazaar.
The deceased, who fell down on the road after the car hit his two-wheeler, came under the wheels of a loaded truck, killing him on the spot whereas his friend Vikas Kumar, received injuries.
Soon, hundreds of local residents and fellow villagers assembled on the road and torched some private vehicle besides eight trucks and damaged more than 40 trucks and heavy commercial vehicles. The truck drivers and helpers (khalasis) were also beaten up by the irate mob.
Police teams from a dozen police stations reached the spot and had to sweat out for more than three hours to bring the situation under control. Fire tenders were also pressed into service to douse the fire. The situation was brought under control only after midnight. Bhagalpur SSP Ashish Bharti said that after Monday night the situation was brought under control within a few hours.
“We will take legal action against the miscreants who set the trucks on fire and created trouble for police and the administration. We have also ordered one way movement of vehicles on Bhagalpur-Jagdishpur-Dumka state highway in view of narrow roads and culverts besides heavy traffic volume,” he said.