Truck driver burnt alive by angry mob

KOLKATA: West Bengal witnessed the most grisly incident of vigilante justice in recent memory on Wednesday, with a 45-year old truck driver was burnt alive by an agitated mob at Asansol in Burdwan district of West Bengal.

The truck driver, Abodh Kumar Singh, was charred to death by the mob, after his truck hit 12-year old Bikash Bauri, who died at the spot. After Bikash’s death, the mob first destroyed Singh’s truck and then attacked him. First he was beaten up severely, his nose was smashed with stones and he was stabbed twice on his lower abdomen. Not satisfied with that, the mob then set him on fire after pouring petrol over him. The majority of crowd remained mute spectators.

Singh was shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata under critical condition, where he died later. In his dying statement, Singh said he did his best to avoid the accident, but failed. According to Pandey, six persons have already been arrested in this connection . The police have framed murder charges against all concerned.

Pandey said that from the incident it is clear that it was not a case of impulsive killing. Meanwhile, the West Bengal truck owners’ association has called a 24-hour truck strike on Friday as a protest against the murder. 

c_sumanta@dnaindia.net