KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, June 1: Two persons, including a journalist, were mowed down by an unidentified vehicle on Chaibasa-Sonua Road under Chakradharpur thana area in West Singhbhum district early this morning.
The journalist killed in the mishap was identified as Sudam Pradhan (50), who worked for a vernacular daily published from Jamshedpur and the other victim was identified as Kashi Sahu (45), both residents of Chakradharpur town.
The mishap took place along Majhi Kushum village, about five km away from Chakradharpur at about 5.30 am while the duo were busy with their regimen.
Within minutes of the tragedy, the news reached the Chakradharpur town, leading a large number of residents supported by the local political activists to rush to the spot and set up a blockade on the Chaibasa-Sonua Road protesting against the rash driving by heavy vehicles on that road.
Some of the protestors expressed their suspicion about the mishap resulting in the death of the journalist was intentional.
Police, however, convinced the agitated protestors about an investigation that they have started into the circumstances causing the fatal mishap and persuaded them to remove the blockade by 9 am.
West Singhbhum SP Ashutosh Shekhar said that the vehicle that’s caused the mishap is yet to be identified.
“No one saw the mishap when it took place as it was too early for the commuters for passing through that road. Moreover, there were no surveillance cameras around as the place was considerably away from the Chakradharpur township. Still, we are trying to detect the killer vehicle soon, ” said Shekhar.
The SP said whether the mishap was a planned one or not could be known after the vehicle in question is detected, adding that effort for that is on.
