BHUBANESWAR: A daily labourer sleeping on a footpath at Raj Mahal Square in Bhubaneswar was mowed down by a speeding early on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Dinabandhu Baral (45) from Pipili area in Puri district, police said.
Following the hit-and-run incident, the driver drove his car into a river, about 5km from the accident spot, and escaped. Dhauli police seized the car. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the driver.
“The vehicle is registered in the name of one Bikash Pal of Kakatpur area in Puri district. We will find out whether Pal or someone else was driving the car when the accident took place around 1am. We will question Pal, who could not be traced in his village. We came to know that he lives in Bhubaneswar. Efforts are on to trace him,” said inspector-in-charge of Capital police station Padmanabh Pradhan. Police found a cheque book in the name of Bikash Pal in the car.
Examining the CCTV cameras, police said the car came from AG Square towards Raj Mahal Square at breakneck speed around 1am. The car suddenly veered off the road and steered over the footpath at Raj Mahal where the labourer was sleeping. A few other homeless persons were also sleeping on the footpath but at a distance from the accident spot.
“I woke up with a loud sound. I found that the car dragged the man some distance and fled after crushing him under its wheels. We shouted, but nobody was around to help late in the night. We informed the police,” said Jharana Bag, an eyewitness.
Police rushed the injured man to Capital Hospital where he was declared dead upon arrival.
Following the hit-and-run incident, the driver drove his car into a river, about 5km from the accident spot, and escaped. Dhauli police seized the car. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the driver.
“The vehicle is registered in the name of one Bikash Pal of Kakatpur area in Puri district. We will find out whether Pal or someone else was driving the car when the accident took place around 1am. We will question Pal, who could not be traced in his village. We came to know that he lives in Bhubaneswar. Efforts are on to trace him,” said inspector-in-charge of Capital police station Padmanabh Pradhan. Police found a cheque book in the name of Bikash Pal in the car.
Examining the CCTV cameras, police said the car came from AG Square towards Raj Mahal Square at breakneck speed around 1am. The car suddenly veered off the road and steered over the footpath at Raj Mahal where the labourer was sleeping. A few other homeless persons were also sleeping on the footpath but at a distance from the accident spot.
“I woke up with a loud sound. I found that the car dragged the man some distance and fled after crushing him under its wheels. We shouted, but nobody was around to help late in the night. We informed the police,” said Jharana Bag, an eyewitness.
Police rushed the injured man to Capital Hospital where he was declared dead upon arrival.
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