Ghaziabad: 5 die as tractor stunt goes wrong, driver absconding

GHAZIABAD: Five persons died and two suffered fractures after the tractor-trolley in which they were travelling crashed into a concrete slab kept for metro construction work and turned turtle on NH-58. The accident occurred around 2.30am in Muradnagar area when the driver tried to show the passengers “some stunts”.
The deceased were identified as Durgesh (26), Amit (24), Kishan (37), Parvesh (21) — all from Meerut — and Chandan (45), who was from Saharanpur.Rahul and Johny, who were sitting beside the driver on the tractor, suffered fractures to the legs. Johny lost two fingers in the right leg.
Rahul told TOI that Shahrukh was not only speeding on the highway but also driving the tractor in a zigzag manner. Despite repeated warnings from those sitting in the trolley, he insisted on showing them a few stunts. As he lost control, the tractor crashed into a concrete slab and overturned.
“The driver fled the spot and didn’t come for help, even after he saw John and I crying for help. Instead, he kept laughing at us. Had he called an ambulance and rushed some of those grievously injured to hospital in time, there would have been fewer casualties,” Rahul said from his hospital bed.
Those travelling in the tractor were all daily-wage labourers who worked on contract with the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation. They were engaged for installing streetlights in Muradnagar. They were going to their rented room in Sahibabad after work when the accident occurred.
“Around 9am on Sunday, we had started work on laying underground cables for the streetlights. Work ended around 2am and we were on our way to our room in Sahibabad. Shahrukh, who was driving the tractor, is the son of our contractor, Naseem. Shahrukh had asked Amit to drive the tractor, but he declined saying he had an injury in the hand. This had even angered Shahrukh,” Rahul said.
After the accident, a police team rushed the passengers to a private hospital in Sanjay Nagar, where five of them were declared dead on arrival. Naseem, who had hired the labourers, tried to mislead the police initially, saying the tractor had turned turtle after being hit by an unidentified vehicle. The stretch where the accident occurred is not covered by CCTV cameras.
However, the two injured labourers told the cops how the tractor hit the concrete slab. An FIR has been lodged against Shahrukh following the statement by the two injured persons.
Sonu, a relative of Kisan and daily-wage labourer, said Naseem tried to mislead the cops to save his son. “There was no sign that the tractor had been hit by a heavy vehicle. Moreover, those injured gave a statement on how the accident happened,” he added.
Pammi Chaudhary, investigating officer in the case, said the accident occurred around 2.30am. “Police had initially lodged an FIR under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC against an unidentified driver on the basis of a complaint by Naseem. But after Rahul gave his statement, Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) will be added to the FIR against Shahrukh,” the officer added.
Later on Monday, an FIR was registered against Shahrukh and his father Naseem .
The police have launched a manhunt for Shahrukh, who is on the run.