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‘Tractor-trolley driver was drunk’: Police after 13 die in MP accident
The driver of a tractor-trolley that turned turtle in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, with around 65 people from Rajasthan onboard, was under the influence of alcohol
Jaipur/Bhopal: The driver of a tractor-trolley that turned turtle in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, with around 65 people from Rajasthan onboard, was under the influence of alcohol and had lost control of the steering wheel when the accident, which claimed 13 lives, took place, police said on Monday.
The accused driver, Deepak Redas, has been booked under sections 304 (death by negligence) and 308 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and efforts are on to nab him, as he went missing after the accident. Besides, the owners of the vehicle, Srilal and Ratanlal, have also been booked on similar charges and efforts are also being made to arrest the missing persons, police added.
Five children were among the 13 people – all of whom were relatives – who were killed in the accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Sunday night. Twenty-two people were injured, of which four are in a critical condition, police said.
All the occupants of the tractor-trolley were from Rajasthan’s Jhalawar city and were on their way to attend a wedding in Kamalpur in Rajgarh when the incident took place.
“Prima facie, the driver, Deepak Redas, was under the influence of alcohol while driving and therefore, lost control over the steering wheel when the accident took place. The passengers said they booked the car from Srilal and Ratanlal from Motipura (Jhalawar), on Sunday. The accused are absconding and efforts are on to nab them,” Jawar station house officer (SHO) Abhay Singh said.
Rajgarh police station SHO Veer Singh said the vehicle turned turtle and fell into a ditch in Piplaudi area, 30 kilometres away from Rajgarh district headquarters.
Police said a majority of the occupants of the vehicle were from Motipura, Jawar and nearby villages while some others were from Baran district in Rajasthan.
“All the victims were relatives. Seven of the deceased were from Jhalawar while six of them were from Baran. The vehicle had left Motipura at 6pm and the accident took place between 10pm-10.30pm,” Jhalawar district collector Ajay Singh Rathore said.
“A JCB was summoned to rescue the people and retrieve the bodies after the vehicle turned turtle. Of the 22 injured, four were referred to a private hospital in critical condition. The remaining were treated in Rajgarh district hospital,” he added.
According to Rajgarh superintendent of police Aditya Mishra, the tractor-trolley was carrying people beyond its capacity. “Most of the people died of shock and internal injuries. The bodies have been sent for an autopsy and further probe is underway,” he said.
One of the injured persons, Mamta Katoriya, also said the driver of the vehicle was drunk. “He was driving recklessly and was taking sharp turns at high speed. We asked him to drive safely but he did not listen and lost control of the vehicle.”
The 13 deceased were identified as Arvind Katoriya (12), Shivam Katoriya (12), Ramdayal Katoriya (9), Akash Katoriya (5), Abhi Katoriya (3), Ramkali Katoriya (25), Rampal Katoriya (20), Sunil Katoriya (20), and Vishal Katoriya (18).
Of the deceased, there were four women – Badam Bai (70), Barji Bai (50), Rupa Bai (22), and Radha Bai (20).
On Monday morning, Madhya Pradesh minister of fisheries department, Narayan Singh Panwar, Rajgarh district collector Harsh Dixit, Jhalawar district collector Ajay Rathore, Jhalawar superintendent of police Richa Tomar, additional superintendent of police Chiranjee Lal Meena and Jawar SHO Abhay Singh visited the accident site.
President Droupadi Murmu extended her condolences to the families of the deceased. “The tragic death of many people in a road accident in MP’s Rajgarh district is extremely disheartening. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wish speedy recovery of the injured ones,” she wrote on X.
Chief ministers Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan) and Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) also expressed grief over the accident.
“The incident is shocking… Our officials have been instructed to coordinate with their MP counterparts to bring back the mortal remains of the deceased to their families. They were also asked to ensure proper treatment for the injured,” Sharma said on X.
Yadav posted on the micro-blogging site: “We are in touch with the Rajasthan government and the Rajasthan police as well. The treatment of the injured is underway in Rajgarh district hospital while a few critical patients have been referred to Bhopal for better treatment. May god grant peace to the deceased souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family.”
