E-Paper
Six kanwariyas mowed down by speeding truck in Hathras
The district administration of Hathras announced an ex gratia of ₹1 lakh each for the six deceased, all residents of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Six kanwariyas were killed and one got injured after being run over by a speeding truck near Sadabad crossing in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district early on Saturday morning, police said.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences on the incident and directed district authorities to ensure complete medical treatment of the injured.
The district administration of Hathras announced an ex gratia of ₹1 lakh each for the six deceased, all residents of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
“The kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva) were returning from Haridwar and were headed to Gwalior when they were hit by a speeding truck at around 2.30 am within Sadabad police station limits,” said Rajeev Krishna, additional director general of police (ADGP), Agra zone.
Krishna, who visited to the spot soon after the incident was reported to the police, added: “A police team reached the spot and interacted with the injured kanwariyas. While five of them died on the spot, one succumbed to his injuries during treatment, taking the toll to six. The injured has been referred to SN Medical College in Agra.”
The deceased were identified as Jabar Singh (28), Ranveer (30), Manoj Pal (30), Ramesh Pal (30), Naresh Pal (32) and Vikas (25), a senior police officer said, adding that post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted before they were taken to Gwalior.
The truck driver, who escaped after the accident, was later arrested by Hathras police. “A case was registered at Sadabad police station in connection with the incident and the truck has been impounded,” the senior officer added, requesting anonymity. “The truck driver is being interrogated.”
Later in the day, the Hathras deputy collector announced compensation for the six deceased. “ ₹1 lakh each to the nearest heirs of the above deceased Kanwar yatris... The action to provide assistance has been taken by the district administration,” read a statement by the office of deputy collector, Sadabad (Hathras).
When the bodies of the kanwariyas were being taken to Gwalior, a group of 50-60 people stopped the vehicles, demanding “adequate compensation” for the families of the deceased, and blocked the road at Saiyyan toll plaza on the Agra-Gwalior highway, police said.
“Police and administrative authorities reached the spot and pacified the protesters who then lifted the blockade, after which traffic movement became normal on the highway,” another police officer said.
When asked by reporters on security arrangement for Kanwar yatra, the Agra ADGP denied any lapses, but said there were limitations of police protection for smaller groups moving in an isolated manner.
“Adequate security arrangements are in place and police patrolling vehicles are moving with larger groups on road and night patrolling is also on,” Krishna said. “Law and order situation is under control and adequate police force has been deployed in the area.”
Several important roads have been blocked for vehicular traffic in the wake of the ongoing Kanwar yatra, officials said.
National Highway (NH) 58 connecting Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun in Uttarakhand was temporarily closed for traffic movement starting Saturday. “Only kanwariyas and their vehicles will be allowed on NH 58 till July 26,” a government official said.
One side of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway has also been blocked for normal traffic from Saturday. “Vehicles going towards Ghaziabad from Meerut would be allowed to ply on one side while the other side will be used by kanwariyas,” said Jitendra Srivastava, superintendent of police, traffic, Meerut.
Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Lord Shiva’s devotees, known as kanwariyas, in the Hindu month of Shravan. This year, the yatra started on July 14 and will end on July 26.
In the past few days, several kanwariyas have died in road accidents. On July 22, a woman kanwariya was seriously injured after being hit by a speeding car near Hapur bus stand. The woman, a resident of Aligarh, was rushed to the district hospital from where doctors referred her to Delhi in view of her serious condition.
Jitendra Singh, the station house officer of Nauchandi police station, where a case has been registered, said the driver of the car was taken into custody and a case will be registered after receiving a complaint from the family of the injured woman.
On July 18, two kanwariyas were killed after a roadway bus hit their motorcycle on NH 24.
In another incident on the same day, a kanwariya riding a motorbike fell into a 30-ft roadside gorge and died after his motorcycle collided with the divider on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Police said the deceased was among four kanwariyas from Delhi, who were on their way to Haridwar on two-wheelers when the incident took place.
