Prominent Uttarakhand statehood movement leader among 3 killed in Dehradun accident

The truck driver, identified as Vijay Kumar, a resident of Rumsi village in Rudraprayag district, was arrested, and his truck seized on charges of rash driving and causing death by negligence.

Pawar was a well-known Uttarakhand statehood agitator whose outfit, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), was among those that spearheaded the statehood movement. He was getting into his car after attending a wedding reception at Forest View Hotel near Natraj Chowk when the accident occurred. He was eventually taken to AIIMS Rishikesh but was declared dead.

The other two deceased have been identified as Gurjeet Singh, 36, from Rishikesh, and Jatin, 23, of Delhi. While Gurjeet died the same night, Jatin succumbed to his wounds Monday morning. According to the police, the area was unusually crowded due to a wedding ceremony, which had led to traffic congestion.

“Efforts to clear the resulting traffic jam began immediately after the police arrived at the scene,” Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh said.

The number of injured is yet to be confirmed and further investigation into the case is underway.

This comes weeks after another major accident reignited concerns over road safety in the region, with calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations. On November 12, six students died and one was injured after their SUV collided with a container truck at high speed in Dehradun.