BARIPADA: Vehicular movement on NH-18 and NH-49 came to a standstill for over four hours on Sunday as hundreds of villagers staged road blockade at Jharpokharia over the death of a man in an accident. The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Antaryami Bhol of Kherana village.
The mishap took place at around 7.30 pm on Saturday. Sources said Bhol was on way to his village when he was run over by a bus. Locals rushed him to Sirsa hospital where the doctor declared him dead.
Following the accident, Bhol’s family members went to Jharpokharia police station to lodge an FIR against the bus owner and driver but a sub-inspector there reportedly misbehaved with them.
At around 9.30 am on Sunday morning, hundreds of villagers of Kherana, Sarashkana and Jharpokharia laid seige to NH-18 and NH-49 and staged blockade at Bombay Chowk by placing Bhol’s body on the road. Later, Sarashkana MLA Dr Budhan Murmu arrived at the protest site and joined the agitators.
On being informed, Baripada SDPO KK Hariprasad, Sarashkana tehsildar Lalatendu Si and Jharpokharia IIC Muktikanta Kulu rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the irate villagers but to no avail.
SDPO Hariprasad said the blockade was withdrawn after the bus owner provided compensation of Rs 1 lakh cash and a cheque of Rs 4 lakh to the deceased’s kin.
Besides, the bus owner was fined Rs 2.2 lakh for not having proper documents of the vehicle. Basing on the complaint of Bhol’s wife, police registered a case under sections 279 and 304 (A) of the IPC and arrested the driver and helper of the bus, the SDPO added.