A 26-YEAR-OLD man, who was walking to his native place at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh from Sonipat in Haryana, died after a private bus hit him in Pakwarha area of Moradabad on Saturday. Nitin Kumar worked at a shoe factory in Sonipat and was returning home after the unit was shut following the Centre’s announcement of a 21-day lockdown.
Nitin was walking with his younger brother Pankaj, who works in the same factory, around 195 km from the spot where the accident took place. Rampur district is around 35 km from the spot.
The police have seized the bus, which was ferrying passengers from Ghaziabad, and are trying to trace its driver, said Circle Officer, Highway, Ram Sagar. The bus belongs to a Meerut resident and the police are trying to trace him too. SHO, Pakwarha police station, Surendra Pal Singh said an FIR had been registered against the unidentified driver. Police said they are probing how a private bus was plying despite the lockdown.
Pankaj said he and Nitin had been working in the shoe factory for the past five years. After the government announced the lockdown, the factory downed shutters and they were out of work. “We decided to return to our village because staying in Haryana without work and food was meaningless. Three days ago, we left for Rampur on foot because no public transport was available,” he said.
“We walked day and night and reached Moradabad Saturday. We were near an intersection when a bus hit my brother from behind. He died on the spot,” he said.
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