Tension gripped Outer Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area when a three-year-old child was curshed to death by a school bus on Thursday. The child’s death drew angry protests from the locals who blocked a road and pelted police vehicles with stones forcing the police to resort to cane charge and firing. A 23-year-old peanut seller was allegedly killed in the police firing.
The incident occurred in the Metronagar locality of Haulambi Kalan village. the toddler, Aditya, was returning from a shop near his home when a speeding school bus hit him, said a local resident.
Aditya, son of Naresh, was sent by his mother to a nearby shop get a shampoo at the Holambi Kala under the jurisdiction of Shahbad Dairy area. “He was crossing the road. I saw the bus coming towards him and it killed my child”, said Aditya’s grandmother Kamla.
The agitated locals allegedly thrashed the driver and handed him over to the police.
The locals then allegedly tried to set the bus on fire but they were stopped by a police team leading to a violent confrontation and the team had to call for reinforcement.
Soon, the agitated locals allegedly started vandalising vehicles one after another. Apart from the school bus, the mob allegedly smashed four private cars, set one motorbike on fire and shattered the windscreen of a police vehicle.
When the situation went out of hand, the police fired tear gas shells and bullets to control the mob.
Wasim, 23, who sustained bullet injuries, later died in hospital, sources said.
Additional police forces were rushed and by afternoon, the situation was brought under control.
The accused driver, identified as Mukesh (28) was arrested and case was
registered in Shahbad Dairy police station.
The locals said that the bus was carrying around 15 schoolchildren and a teacher. The driver tried to flee the spot. But was caught by the locals and
thrashed.