E-Paper
Ludhiana: FIR registered against driver, two still missing
The pick-up truck, packed with devotees returning from the revered Mata Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh, was heading back to Manakheri village when the incident occurred late Sunday night
In the tragic incident near Jagera Bridge where a mini truck carrying 29 pilgrims plunged into the Sirhind Canal on Sunday night, Ludhiana Rural Police have registered an FIR against the driver and taken him into custody. The death toll has climbed to eight, including three children, while two passengers remain missing. According to the police it is the fact that the vehicle was overloaded and the vehicle was meant for carrying the goods not the passengers.
The driver, Gurveer Singh, 28, a resident of village Manakheri in Malerkotla district, survived the accident and was among the 19 people rescued by divers and local volunteers. He has been booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
According to assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Charanjit Singh of Malaud police station, the FIR was lodged on the basis of a statement given by Bhag Singh, 50, a survivor from the same village who was also aboard the vehicle.
During preliminary questioning, Gurveer claimed that the accident occurred when he was momentarily blinded by the high-beam headlights of vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. Disoriented, he failed to spot the canal edge near Jagera Bridge, leading to the vehicle’s plunge into the water.
The pick-up truck, packed with devotees returning from the revered Mata Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh, was heading back to Manakheri village when the incident occurred late Sunday night. Witnesses reported chaos and screams as the vehicle disappeared into the dark waters of the canal. Local residents, police, and rescue teams worked through the night to save as many lives as possible.
So far, eight bodies have been recovered —The search continues for 70-year-old Kesar Singh and 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh, both feared drowned.
“This was a preventable tragedy. The vehicle was overloaded, and we are still investigating all aspects of the incident,” said ASI Charanjit Singh.
The recovery operation is ongoing, with divers deployed along the canal in search of the two remaining missing persons. Authorities have also reiterated safety warnings to avoid overcrowding of vehicles, particularly during long-distance religious pilgrimages.
