Irate mob torches five buses following killing of two students

Kolkata: The busy E M Bypass today virtually turned into a battlefield as an irate mob protesting the mowing down of two students by bus torched five buses and stoned police and traffic guards.

Ths situation came to such a pass at Chingri Ghata near Beliaghata that riot police had to be mobilised to ward off the agitating mob.

Eyewitnesses said a government bus after jumping the red signal mowed down first year students - Biswajit Bhunia and Sanjay Banik - who were cycling back home from tuition around 1130 hours.

The two teenagers were local residents of Sukanta Nagar.

Hundreds of people, who coralled to protest the accident, turned violent and started setting afire buses, damaging parked police vehicles and pelting with stones at police personnel and traffic guards.

A burning bus on move hit the flyover and damaged a portion badly.

The busy E M Bypass, which remained blocked from all sides over two and half hours, crippled traffic at IT hub of Sector V and Bantala totally.

Even the fire brigade vehicles were prevented from proceeding towards the

burning buses.

RAF and local politicians rushed to the scene of violence to ensure the mob lifted the blockade and allow traffic to move on when the report came in.

Another report from Burdwan said two people were killed and nine injured when a diesel-propelled tri-cycle was hit by a truck in Keton village on Katwa road this morning.

All the victims were wage earners.