Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A truck driver died after he was allegedly assaulted by transport department staff at Ali Nagar in UPs Chandauli district on Monday for refusing to pay bribe,the second such incident in a month.
Angry over the death of Anant Lal,50,truck drivers blocked the Varanasi-Delhi highway for over five hours,demanding the arrest of the guilty. The blockade was removed after the police registered a case.
The postmortem report said the death was caused by head injury and a case has been registered against the five accused staff,including a Passenger Tax Officer (PTO).
SP Shalabh Mathur said the officials would be arrested if they are found guilty.
Lals son Ashwini Kumar Gupta told the police that PTO Mohammad Arif and constables Gunjan Tiwari,Janmajay,C B Singh and Manoj demanded Rs 5,000 even after they produced relevant documents. When Lal refused,they assaulted him,after which he vomited blood.
The staff panicked and one of the constables carried the driver in the same truck on the pretext of taking him to hospital. But he left the truck near the Naubatpur check-post in Syed Raja area and escaped in a government vehicle along with his colleagues who were following the truck,police said. Lal died in the truck.
On September 14,a truck driver had died following alleged harassment by transport staff in Agra. A murder case was registered and investigation is pending.
