VILLUPURAM:A lorry, laden with TASMAC consignment worth Rs 12.5 lakh and seized by police following an accident, was reportedly set ablaze by unidentified persons in front of Vikravandi police station in the wee hours of Monday.
The incident took place shortly after a gory accident in which the lorry ran over a 28-year-old woman and her one-and-a-half years old daughter, killing both on the spot.According to sources, Rajiv Gandhi (32) of Viratikuppam village and his wife Savithri (28) had come to Mailam Subramanian temple along with their baby daughter to attend a relative’s wedding on Sunday morning. While returning to Villupuram via the west bypass road, a lorry, laden with 1,250 cases of beer and heading to Trichy from Chennai, rammed on the rear of their two-wheeler. In the impact, Savithri and the baby fell on the road and the lorry ran over them.
Following the incident, Vikravandi police detained lorry driver Kadhar Hussain and stationed the vehicle in front of police station.Learning about the accident, the transport agency had sent two representatives to stay in the front cabin of the lorry and look after the consignment throughout the night.Around 5.30 am on Monday, when the two representative returned to the cabin after attending nature’s call, they found the lorry and the consignment on fire.
The Tindivanam fire and rescue officials, who reached the spot on being informed of the matter by police, doused the flames in an hour-long operation.Shanmugam, Assistant Director of the Forensics Department in Villupuram, told Express that prima facie it seemed like some unidentified persons had intentionally set the lory on fire. Further investigation is on.