Excelsior Correspondent
-Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, Aug 26: The irate residents of Kote Neterian, Barnai, Muthi and other adjoining areas held a demonstration at Barnai Chowk and blocked the Jammu -Poonch Highway for over one hour in protest against the killing of father -son duo identified as Surinder Kumar and Master Sumit Bhat, who were hit by a Maruti swift last evening near Muthi camp bridge on Akhnoor road.
Hundreds of protestors including men, women and children who squatted on road along with dead bodies of the two were demanding immediate arrest of the maruti borne youth who were dead drunk and hit the scooty on which the couple along with their six year old child was traveling.
While the father and son died on spot the woman identified as Rimi Bhat was seriously injured and she is undergoing treatment at Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital Jammu.
The Domana police has seized Swift but the youth managed to escape. Though the SHO Domana and SDPO Domana tried a lot to pacify the agitated people asking them to lift the road blockade as police will nab the youth who were responsible for the accident within day but they did not budge and demanded that senior officers of the rank of SSP and DC should visit there and give assurance to them.
They also demanded ex-gratia for the family as it lost the sole bread owner leaving behind his wife who is also battling for life in hospital and a daughter. Shouting slogans, the protestors said they will not lift the road blockade till assurance is given by senior officers in this regard.
Later SP Rural, Mohan Lal Kaith reached the spot and assured the protestors that the police is on the job and it will arrest both the youth soon as it has seized the vehicle and its documents.
He said police has collected all the information about the Maruti borne youth and they were drunk. He appealed the protestors to lift the blockade and take the dead bodies for last rites. He assured them to convene their meeting with DC Jammu tomorrow so that the administration can take a decision in this regard.
On his assurance the protestors dispersed and road blocked was lifted.
The protestors also held the Traffic Police responsible for the increasing accidents and alleged that no action is being taken against those drivers especially the teen aged youth who are driving the vehicles without licenses and rash.
In an appeal to DG Traffic they urged him to issue instructions to his officers to launch a drive and take action under law against those violating traffic rules to avert the increasing accidents otherwise the people will be forced to launch a massive agitation against the Traffic Police.
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