Mob fury after app-biker charred to death in crash, police fire tear gas

Kolkata: A 20-year-old app-bike rider was charred to death when a speeding private car rammed into his bike while he waited at the traffic signal near the bridge connecting Salt Lake's AK Block with the Kestopur canal road around 4.30 pm on Wednesday.

Police said the impact of the collision was such that the car dragged the bike along with it to the roadside railing before both the vehicles burst into flames. The biker, Soumen Mondal, a resident of Jharkhali in South 24 Parganas, could not escape as his legs got caught in the railings. Locals reportedly tried to rescue Mondal but failed to pull him away. Two persons in the car escaped with injuries; one of them suffered a fracture in his leg. A pedestrian and another biker were also injured.

The accident prompted a protest by locals, who alleged delay in the arrival of the fire brigade and accused police of inaction and excesses. As the protest turned violent with agitators hurling stones at cops, police fired tear gas shells.

Police have initiated a probe to determine the cause of the accident and if the car's fuel cylinder had exploded.

Within seconds of the accident, residents and passersby converged on the site. "The flames kept growing but the fire engine came 20 minutes later," said a resident of the nearby Ghoshpara slum in Kestopur.

The agitators claimed police were shooting videos of the vehicles on fire without attempting to douse the flames. "These cops demand young men from our area when they take their bikes out for small distances without wearing a helmet. Had they concentrated on traffic management, rather than fine collection, the accident would not have occurred," said a protester, who tried to block the road. Tensions escalated when some in the crowd accused cops of pushing back people to remove the blockade. Protesters started throwing stones. Cops in riot gear initially ran for cover before retaliating by firing tear gas shells.

"Some from the crowd attacked our personnel and damaged public property. We used minimal force to restore order," Bidhannagar police commissioner Mukesh Kumar. On allegations of cops shooting videos, Kumar said it was part of the protocol. He added some officers did try to pull the youth out but failed. Kumar said fire engines got late as they were stuck in a jam.

The situation was brought under control an hour later.



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