3 of migrant family killed as vehicles flattens roadside shanty
Four also injured when the vehicle runs over the shanty the victims were sleeping in the wee hours of Saturday
HT Correspondent
Three members of a migrant family were mowed down to death when a pick-up van ran over the shanty they were sleeping in outside the grain market on the Faridkot-Bathinda road in Kotkapura town of the district.
Seven persons were sleeping in the shanty at the time of the incident.
The deceased have been identified as Rekha (50), who hailed from Signandpura village of Bhagalpore district in Bihar, her daughter Varuna Kumari (30) and the latter’s eight-month-old daughter Bandani. The three were killed on the spot.
Four children, one of whom is in a critical condition, got injured in the mishap. The injured were first rushed to the local civil hospital, from where they were shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot.
The accident took place at about 1:30am on Saturday opposite Hotel Dev Heaven. The Tata 207 (registration number PB-04T 9340) was being driven by Harjeet Singh. The vehicle rammed into an electricity pole before running over the shanty.
Some of the family members worked as labourers in the local market.
A case has been registered under section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Case against driver Harjeet Singh, a resident of Ferozepur district.
“We have booked the driver for causing death of three persons. Their post-mortem is yet to be conducted as their relatives were yet to come from Delhi,” said Kotkapura station house officer (SHO) Gurdeep Singh Pandher.
There are about 100 shanties along the road and their occupants are always under a risk if a vehicle goes out of control.