JAGATSINGHPUR: Irate villagers blocked the Cuttack-Paradip state highway at Balrampur within Kujang police limits here on Tuesday after a 55-year-old woman, whose son died in a road accident, reportedly tried to end her life by consuming poison.
On Monday, 24-year-old Gugula Das of Balrampur was returning home from Kujang Bazaar when a speeding truck hit his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and lost both his legs and a hand in the mishap. Gugula was shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, said the agitators.
Gugula’s widowed mother Mina Das was overcome with grief and despair on hearing the news of her only son’s death. She reportedly attempted suicide by consuming poison and was rushed to Kujang community health centre by villagers. Her condition is stable now.
According to villagers, the Das family was already struggling after Mina’s husband died in a road mishap last year. With Gugula’s death, his family - consisting of Mina and his three sisters - lost its only breadwinner.
As the news about the incident spread, hundreds of villagers blocked the highway at Balrampur demanding adequate compensation to the deceased’s kin, a government job for a member of the bereaved family, and immediate ban on plying of heavy vehicles on the road during daytime.
The agitators alleged that despite repeated assurances from the administration, movement of overloaded trucks during the day has not been stopped, leading to frequent accidents. Last week, a man and his 10-year-old daughter were killed in a road mishap at Sandhpur following which the administration had assured of taking necessary steps to prevent accidents on the route. However, it failed to enforce restrictions, they alleged.
Later in the day, Kujang police led by Tirtol SDPO Chinmaya Das rushed to the spot and pacified the agitating villagers. Subsequently, the road blockade, which continued till evening, was lifted. The protest severely disrupted vehicular movement on the busy highway.