Kanwariyas torch PAC vehicle, assault cops after accident

MEERUT: Enraged kanwariyas allegedly vandalised and torched a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) van late on Friday night after two kanwariyas on a speeding motorcycle hit the van on

NH-58

in

Meerut

. The two men, Dinesh and Jogendra, residents of Meerut’s Chaubla village, were on their way to

Haridwar

when the accident occurred and they were injured. While the driver of the van and the occupants managed to flee the spot, kanwariyas went on a rampage before local police stepped in to control the situation.


A lane on NH-58 is reserved for movement of kanwariyas, while other commuters use the remaining lane. A PAC subedar was on his way to monitor deployment of force in the area when a biker from the opposite side rammed into the van.

The occupants of the van, sensing trouble, fled from the spot leaving the kanwariyas injured. This enraged other kanwariya groups who had halted in the vicinity for refreshments. As the local police took their own time to reach the spot, the angry crowd went berserk. The van was vandalised and torched by the kanwariyas.

Teams from several police stations led by senior officers landed at the spot to take stock of the situation. The angry crowd allegedly misbehaved with the cops when the latter were trying to pacify them. The injured kanwariyas are in stable condition, police said.

“For us, the biggest challenge is to control accidents in the lane reserved for kanwariyas. The situation becomes chaotic when speeding vehicles of kanwariyas meet even a mnor accident. Policemen present at the spot are easily outnumbered and fail to control the kanwariya groups who go on a rampage,” Ranvijay Singh, superintendent of police (city) said.