Staff Reporter
GURGAON: In an incident eerily reminiscent of violence on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway early this past week, two kanwaria pilgrims on motorcycle were run over by a truck in Gurgaon on Saturday morning, leading to a traffic jam and protests by their fellow pilgrims.
It all happened around 6 a.m. when the duo -- Shamsher (20) and Ravi (19) -- comprising a group of kanwarias on motorcycle were fatally knocked down by a truck from behind on a flyover near 32nd Milestone resort.
Shamsher died on the spot, while Ravi succumbed to injuries in hospital.
Violent protests
The mishap led to violent protests by the fellow kanwarias who put the bodies in the middle of the road and disrupted traffic on the National Highway for more than an hour. They also damaged some petrol-refilling machines at the Jwala petrol pump near the spot after its employees refused to give them petrol to set the truck on fire.
The police reached the spot some half an hour after the incident and pacified the kanwarias. Traffic on the highway was restored soon after.
“A separate by-lane has been marked for the kanwarias on the National Highway keeping in view their security, but instead of going on it they were riding their motorcycles on the flyover and escorting others who were walking behind when they were hit by the truck,” said a police officer.
The truck involved in the accident has been seized, but the driver is absconding.
