A police PCR in hot pursuit of two youths riding a motorcycle, who had avoided a police naka, led to an accident, killing both the youths in Naraingarh on Thursday morning.
Shocked and angry over what they called the "mindless" functioning of the Naraingarh police which, they held, led to the accident resulting in the death of Neeraj, 19, a student of Class 11, and Mohit, 20, a BA 1 student, both residents of Ghadoli village, the agitating locals set the PCR afire and blocked the Sadhora road for five hours.
As Naraingarh SHO Satpal Singh rushed to the spot, the irate mobs also set his Gypsy on fire, making him and other policemen run for cover. The agitating villagers, who had blocked the state highway, tried to gherao Ambala SP Shashank Anand when he reached the spot. It was only after he suspended four policemen, including PCR driver Krishan Kumar, Satish and Dayal Singh, that the villagers relented.
Eyewitnesses said it was around 11am when the Naraingarh police, which had set up a naka near Ghadoli village on the Naraingarh-Sadhora road, noticed two youths on a Royal Enfield motorcycle taking a U-turn to avoid the police check.
{{/usCountry}}Eyewitnesses said it was around 11am when the Naraingarh police, which had set up a naka near Ghadoli village on the Naraingarh-Sadhora road, noticed two youths on a Royal Enfield motorcycle taking a U-turn to avoid the police check.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to this, the cops started chasing the youths, and one of the cops tried to stop them with a cane, trying to avoid which the motorcycle collided with a Tata Safari vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Eyewitnesses said while Neeraj died on the spot, Mohit died on his way to the PGI, Chandigarh.
SP Anand said since he was busy with pacifying the agitated locals, he could comment only later.
Meanwhile, the villagers reportedly blocked the road again, demanding stricter action against the erring cops.
(with inputs from Dev Sarup Mathur)