Barabati-Cuttack BJD MlA Debasis Samantray’s son is accused of mowing down two Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) girl students killing one of them on Saturday night with a Tata Safari SUV near the university.
Upset over the police inaction in arresting the accused driver, the agitating students of the OUAT blocked the road in front of the university on Monday disrupting vehicular communication. later, they called off their strike after assurance from police that they would arrest the accused within 12 hours.
The students demanded arrest of MlA’s son and due compensation to the deceased Suchismita Biswal’s family.
“We have the CCTV footage of the vehicle whose registration number later revealed that the car belongs to the owner of Siddarth Construction who happens to be MlA Debasis Samantray’s brother and the legislator’s son was driving the vehicle on that night,” alleged Himandri Mohapatra, an agitating student.
“Since the vehicle belongs to a ruling BJD MlA, police are hesitant to take action against the driver. What happened was a case of murder. The vehicle came on wrong direction (right side) and hit the two girls,” he added.
However, after the local Zone ACP and OUAT Vice-Chancellor SN Pasupalak assured the agitators that the driver would be nabbed within 12 hours, the students called off the stir.
later in the day, police conducted raid at Siddarth Construction office and examined the papers of the vehicle. A notice was also served to the firm to furnish details of the concerned vehicle by 10 am on Tuesday.
“We urge public who saw the accident to depose before police. Whoever is responsible for the accident will be taken to task,” said Commissioner of Police YB Khurania.
Notably, Suchismita, who hailed from Sambalpur, died and another girl identified as Prangya sustained injuries after a white Safari which was coming in wrong direction hit them near Siripur Square when the duo was returning to their hostels after getting down from an auto rickshaw. Suchismita was a third year MCA student.