Vehicular traffic in two places of Baleswar town was disrupted for several hours on Monday after agitators embarked on a picketing following a road accident leading to death of a student of Class-VII of the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) here.
The mishap took place on the Indira Gandhi Marh, connecting ITI square and Hemkapada.
The victim, Bhabani Shankar Mohanty, was knocked down by a school bus belonging to DAV public school near Bhoisahi while he was going to school in his bicycle at around 8.30 am. He died on the spot.
Although the bus sped away from the scene, yet the locals intercepted the vehicle at a distance. Driver Pravakar Maharana was thrashed by the mob after he was caught near Hemkapada square.
Maharana was initially admitted in the district headquarters hospital and later was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
The agitators, demanding speed breakers on the road and compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the victim’s family, picketed on the road. They further alleged that even though they approached the district administration for steps to control and rash and reckless driving on the road, yet in vain.
The picketing was held at the IG Marg and the OT road near the ITI square. As a result the vehicles were stranded on the stretch of road between Baleswar and Bhubaneswar. After persuasion, the agitation pacified and the traffic normalised after 2.30 pm.
District Collector Pramod Das said the DAV Public School management while paid Rs 1 lakh ex-gratia, the district administration paid Rs 20, 000 to the kin of the victim.
The construction of speed breakers would be looked into, said tehsildar Rashmirekha Pradhan. The police said a case under Sections 304(a) and 279 of IPC was registered.
Bhabani was the only son of Harihar Mohanty, who is serving in Army and is currently posted in J&K.