A truck driver was allegedly beaten to death in front of his son on Monday in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh by constables of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) after he refused to pay a Rs 5,000 bribe.
Anant Kumar Gupta, 55, a native of Kaushambi district, lost consciousness and succumbed to injuries after the beating, said his son Ashwani Kumar Gupta, 28.
The incident took place around 4am at Naubatpur area, around 350 km northeast of Lucknow, during a vehicle checking drive, said Ashwani. He was assisting his father on the trip from Ghaziabad to Kolkata with a consignment of herbal medicines.
Ashwani said, “Despite the fact that the truck was not overloaded, the constables demanded Rs 5,000 bribe from my father. When he refused, they thrashed him with sticks and iron rods” "When my father became unconscious, the constables dumped him in the truck and tried to drive away. But my father died. Passersby
stopped the truck after I raised alarm, but the constables managed to escape," he added.
After news of the killing spread, truck drivers blocked the busy National Highway 2 (commonly known as the Delhi-Kolkata Road) demanding action against the constables. The blockade began around 8am and ended two hours later after police baton-charged the protesters and fired in the air.
{{/usCountry}}After news of the killing spread, truck drivers blocked the busy National Highway 2 (commonly known as the Delhi-Kolkata Road) demanding action against the constables. The blockade began around 8am and ended two hours later after police baton-charged the protesters and fired in the air.
{{/usCountry}}Ashwani lodged an FIR against four constables and another RTO employee at the Sayyad Raza police station. District magistrate Vijay Tripathi said action would be taken against the guilty persons.