Tear gas shells lobbed at Shahpur protestors

Following the death of 6-year-old Jayesh Dantani, who was mowed down to death by a truck on Tuesday evening in Shahpura, and injuring his sister Pooja, residents of the area took to streets on Thursday demanding immediate construction of speed breakers to avert such road mishaps in future.

According to sources, the Shahpur police, who was informed about the protests by residents, rushed to the spot and resorted to lathicharge to control the crowd. When the protestors turned riotous and started pelting stones at the police, they had to lob three tear gas shells to bring the mob under control. Constable Laljibhai was injured in the stone pelting.

The victim and his sister were returning home from their father's shop in Shankar Bhuvan in Ishanpur, when a mini truck, which had earlier crashed into eight different vehicles on way from Cama hotel to Shankar Bhuvan, mowed them dowm, killing Jayesh on the spot and grievously injuring Pooja.

The incident triggered large-scale protests and shopkeepers in the area downed shutters in an impromptu bandh call on Wednesday. Besides this, people came out on the streets and closed the roads from Shankar Bhavan to Cama hotel as well as Shahpur crossroads with tyres and big stones, bringing traffic to a standstill for some hours on Thursday. Big banners stating 'Bump Banao aur Jive Bachao' were put up the protestors in the area.
One tear gas shell which fell on the terrace of one of the huts, caused much confusion among the people, who called for fire brigade, mistaking the smoke to be from fire. However, the situation was soon brought under control.