Malda: 2 HS students killed on way to exam centre as van rams their bike

Malda: A pall of grief descended on Malda on Wednesday after a tragic accident claimed the lives of two Higher Secondary (HS) examinees on their way to the examination venue. The incident occurred near Samsi Motiganj under Ratua Police Station, creating shockwaves across the district.

The deceased students have been identified as Tanmay Pramanik (18) and Mohammad Rehan (17), both residents of Ballavpur in Sripur under Pukhuria Police Station. They were Class XII students of Samsi Agril High School and were scheduled to appear for the third-semester Higher Secondary English examination at Ratua High School.

According to eyewitnesses, the two friends were travelling together on a motorcycle to their exam centre when tragedy struck. Just after crossing Motiganj in Samsi, a pick-up van coming from Ratua rammed into their bike.

The impact was so severe that both students died on the spot. News of their untimely death spread rapidly, drawing a huge crowd to the accident site. Grief-stricken family members broke down in tears as the bodies were later identified.

Police from the Samsi outpost rushed to the scene immediately. The bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, normal traffic movement on the busy Ratua-Samsi state highway was restored after initial disruptions.

The accident sparked widespread sorrow, with locals describing the loss as “heart-wrenching” since the victims were on their way to secure their academic future.

Ironically, on the same day, Chiranjib Bhattacharya, president of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, was in Malda to inspect examination centres. He visited institutions in Manikchak, including Enayetpur EA High School, Enayetpur High School and Manikchak Shiksha Niketan High School. Speaking to the media, he said: “The accidental death of the two examinees is very tragic and I extend my deep condolences to the families. The third-semester examinations are being conducted smoothly across the district. There have been no complaints or irregularities.”

While officials highlighted the smooth conduct of examinations, the tragic deaths of Tanmay and Rehan overshadowed the day, leaving the community in deep mourning.