The murder of a veteran Congress leader by a mentally deranged person on Chandi ghat bridge on Wednesday has sent shock waves among the people, particularly the elderly ones. They alleged that the administration doing nothing to rein in the mentally retarded persons, found loafing around the Ganga ghats, is leaving them vulnerable to such attacks.
Notably, the octogenarian Kshemanand Joshi, a local Congress leader, was attacked when he was out on his routine morning walk along the Ganga ghats at 4 am along with his two friends, Ravi Bedi and Chinta Singh.
When they reached Chandi ghat bridge a mentally challenged person hit them with a rod. All the three persons were injured.
On being informed of the incident by the passers-by, police rushed and brought the trio to the district hospital where Kshemanand died during treatment while Bedi was referred to the higher medical centre. The accused hailing from Bahadrabad was later arrested by the police.
Senior citizens of Bilwakeshwar colony are still reeling under the shock even a day after it happened. Shyam Sundar Sharma, a senior school teacher, said that the district administration and police were not doing anything to stop the mentally challenged persons from threatening the people. “We are indeed scared. Such a death can happen to us too anytime,” he said.
Another resident of Bilwakeshwar colony, Meena Devi said, “I often go for morning walks on Nehar Patri Marg. Shaken as we are by the incident, we would not dare go out for morning walk.”
The daughter- in- law of Ravi Bedi who was one of the injured, said that her father- in- law had multiple fractures and was under treatment. “He is still in a state of trauma,” she said.
Meanwhile, the veteran leader was cremated at the cremation grounds at Kharkhari on Thursday in the presence of the family members and Congress leaders.
The police station in-charge Shyampur Pradeep Singh Tomar said, “As the accused was abusing the three senior citizens taking morning walk they asked him to stop. In a fit of anger, Rishipal hit them on their heads with a rod. The accused was arrested and case has been registered against him.”