1 dead, 16 injured after car runs over religious rally in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur

RAIPUR: An over-speeding vehicle, allegedly being used to smuggle ganja, rammed into a religious procession killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others on Friday at Pathalgaon in tribal Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh.

The Madhya Pradesh registered car was over-speeding to evade police checking when it rammed into a procession for Durga Idol immersion, hitting nearly two dozen people. One person died and 16 others were injured, some of them critically. The deceased has been identified as 20 year Gaurav Agrawal.

Local villagers chased the vehicle on motor cycles and intercepted the vehicle at about 15 kms away and set the vehicle ablaze consisting ‘ganja’.

Police said the driver of the car and another person present in the vehicle were detained. They have been identified as as 21 years old

Bablu Vishwakarma

and 26-year-old

Shishupal Sahu

resident of Bargawan police station district Singrauli.

Agitated villagers staged a gherao in front of the local police station and also resorted to road blockade Gumla-Katni national highway demanding action against the accused and a compensation of Rs one crore to the family of the deceased.

Jashpur Collector

Ritesh Aggarwal said that the injured are hospitalized in nearest community health centre while the deceased family members will be given compensation amount by the administration.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and stringent action would be taken against the accused. “ It’s a heart-wrenching incident. No one will be spared, justice will be done to everyone”.

Police said an assistant sub-inspector has been suspended pending an inquiry against him.

Meanwhile, BJP vice-president and former chief minister Raman Singh has demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family of the victim who died after being run over by the vehicle in Pathalgaon.