A youth was killed after being run over by an allegedly illegal sand-laden tractor in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, sparking widespread protests and violence in the area. The confrontation took place in the Pathar location under the jurisdiction of Gohparu police post where the injured was placed in the road, with his body, and the tractor was set afire in anger of the mob.
Police sources stated that when the youth, Ramniwas Sahu, was travelling on a motorcycle on the road with his wife Madhuri Sahu and another person Shankar Sahu, they say a speeding tractor stuffed sand right into their motorcycle from behind. The roller crashed all three riders to the ground and Shankar Sahu was trampled by a tractor, and he died instantly. Ramniwas was seriously injured along with Madhuri and rushed to hospital for treatment.
The locals had claimed the tractor was taking sand which was not supposed to be transported and belonged to a person referred as Munnu Sahu. The car driver was said to have immediately after the collision taken off while leaving the vehicle behind.
Villagers and relatives of the victim converged onto the scene enraged by the fatal crash and dragged the body onto the road and demanded tougher action against those responsible by holding a protest at the scene. In the demonstration the tractor was set on fire and burnt to the ground by the crowd.
Gohparu police arrived at the scene to trouble shoot and dislodge the dusk. “An enquiry is on going and the efforts are on to identify the owner of the tractor and trace the absconding driver and the fulfillment of the illegal transportation of sand,” said Station House Officer Rajkumar Mishra.