Rajasthan: On way to condolence meeting, truck mows down couple, 2 children

Residents blocked the Bhinmal-Jivana road in Rajasthan’s Jalore, demanding strict action against the gravel mafia and the arrest of those responsible for the accident

A couple in their 30s and their two children aged eight and five on their way to a condolence meeting were killed when an illegally mined gravel-laden dumper truck without a number plate hit their motorcycle and dragged them in Rajasthan’s Jalore on Sunday.

The four were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police identified the four as Uttampuri, 32, his wife, Pinta Devi, 30, and their sons, Chintu, and Raju. The family was travelling from Bawatra to Kora to attend the condolence meeting at the residence of Pinta Devi’s parents. The couple’s eldest son, Rahul, 11, lives with his grandparents.

Police said the dumper truck rammed into Uttampuri’s motorcycle around 5pm. The four were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead. Uttampuri was a daily wage labourer.

Residents blocked the Bhinmal-Jivana road, demanding strict action against the gravel mafia and the arrest of those responsible for the accident. They said police hastily removed the dumper truck from the accident site.

Top officials rushed to the scene to pacify the protesters but they refused to disperse until concrete assurances. The blockade was lifted around 9:30pm after the police superintendent promised the arrest of the truck owner and driver within 24 hours and a crackdown on illegal gravel mining from Monday. The protesters accused the police of inaction in curbing illegal mining in the area.