Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Five persons of a family including a 4-year-old child were killed late last night in a tragic road mishap at Domana area of city outskirts, due to alleged negligence of R&B Department and a private telecom agency, following which the family members, relatives and neighbours of the deceased family today blocked Jammu-Akhnoor Road at Deharan demanding FIR against the accused agencies as well as compensation to the family.
As per the reports, the mishap occurred late last night when seven persons of a family including men, women and children were on their way towards Kangril from Jammu in a Maruti car bearing registration number JK02Q-3458.
The mishap occurred due to a large pit dug by a private telecom agency on the edge of Jammu-Akhnoor Road near Domana petrol pump, as in a bid to escape the pit, the driver of the car lost control over his speeding vehicle and it plunged into about 20 feet gorge along the road.
On getting information of the tragic mishap, a team of police from police station Domana led by SHO Rajeshwar Singh reached the spot and started rescue operation. While four occupants of the car were found killed on the spot, three others including two women and a 4-year-old child, who received serious injuries, were evacuated from the damaged vehicle and rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, where one of the injured woman succumbed to her injuries at about 1.30 am today.
Those who died in the mishap have been identified as Rattan Lal (52) son of Sai Dass, resident of Kangril, his wife, Rattno Devi, son Ajeet Kumar (32) and Lovish (3) son of Ajeet Kumar and Vimla Devi (45) wife of Bansi Lal, while the injured are Pooja Kumari (28) wife of Ajeet Kumar and her 4-year-old son namely Sanchit. While Pooja’s condition was stated to be stable, Sanchit is reportedly in a critical condition and is under close observation of doctors at ICU of the hospital.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people including the family members, kin and neighbours of the deceased persons this morning assembled at Jammu-Akhnoor Road at Deharan along with the dead bodies of the deceased and staged a protest demanding FIR against the R&B Department and a private telecom agency, which had dug a pit on the edge of the road, alleging that the mishap occurred due to negligence of the R&B Department and the private telecom agency who had left open the pit after performing their work.
The protest last for about three hours during which the vehicular traffic was disrupted by the protesting people and the traffic police had to divert the traffic from alternative routes. The angry protesters were also demanding compensation to the family and Government job to one of the family members.
Senior officers from police and civil administration including Additional DC (ADC) Jammu, Arun Manhas, reached the spot and pacified the protesters by assuring that whosoever will be found guilty for the mishap will not be spared. He also announced Rs 2.5 lakh compensation to the family from Red Cross fund on the instructions of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal. After the assurance of the ADC Jammu, protesting people dispersed and lifted the blockade. Later, the bodies of the deceased were consigned to flames by the family members.
According to SHO police station Domana, Inspector Rajeshwar Singh, they have registered an FIR in this connection against R&B Department and an unknown telecom agency and further investigations are underway.
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