5-year-old boy dies in accident, locals protest

Siliguri: A 5-year-old student died and a 11-year-old student was critically injured after being hit by a stone-laden tractor in Gangaram Tea Garden area of Phansidewa Block.

Locals blocked the road in protest and placed the body on the road, demanding the arrest of the tractor owner. They blocked National Highway 31 for more than four hours.

As the situation flared up, police had to fire tear gas to disperse the protesters from the road, but the situation worsened. Police had to resort to a baton charge to control the situation, but the angry mob pelted stones at the police.

Tanmay Sarkar, theDeputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Arindam Bhattacharya, Inspector-in-Charge of Matigara Police Station, along with 22 others, including women, suffered injuries in the incident.

A large police force was deployed on the spot. Meanwhile, Aroop Biswas, minister of Power, visited the nursing home at Hanshkhoya to see the injured along with Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri, Papiya Ghosh, president of Darjeeling district TMC (plains).

“The Chief Minister had a talk with the father of the injured. We are overseeing the treatment. The government is with the family,” said Aroop Biswas.

The deceased has been identified as Leon Kuzur and the injured person was Younes Kuzur, both residents of Phansidewa and siblings.

On Tuesday morning, they were going to school on bicycles when the tractor hit the children. One died on the spot. Thereafter, locals blocked the road in anger. School students also participated in the protest. When police arrived in the area, protesters vandalised their van.

Geeta Orao, a relative of the deceased said: “Both children were residing with their grandmother.

The parents stay in Bangalore for work.

We want the police to arrest the tractor owner immediately.”