BARIPADA: Vehicular movement between Rairangpur and Tata Nagar in Jharkhand was disrupted for more than eight hours as locals blocked National Highway-22 protesting the death of a 14-year-old boy in an accident near Purunapani Chowk on Thursday.
The boy was identified as Omm Shri Giri of Tamalbandh village. Omm was cycling his way to Rairangpur town when he was hit by a speeding truck near Purunapani Chowk at around 5 am.
Sources said the boy used to help his father sell vegetables at Tamalbandh Chowk. On the day, he was coming to Rairangpur Morning Market to procure vegetables for his father when the mishap took place.
While the truck sped away after the accident, irate locals blocked the NH demanding Rs 5 lakh compensation to the minor’s kin.
On being informed, Rairangpur SDPO Gayatri Pradhan and Rairangpur Town IIC Santosh Xess rushed to protest site and tried to pacify the agitators but to no avail.
Later, Rairangpur tehsildar Yogaranjan Nayak and local MLA Naba Charan Majhi reached the spot and convinced the locals to withdraw the blockade. The district administration provided `50,000 as ex-gratia to the boy’s family.