Kolkata: Tension flared in Bhangar after a motorcyclist died and two others were injured in an accident on Tuesday evening. Villagers and police were involved in skirmishes following a road blockade in the Saihati area under Bhangar PS.
Villagers claimed that the cops were chasing the motorcycle as the rider was not wearing a helmet. And while fleeing from the cops, the bike hit a tree.
A police officer said: “We do have a bike patrol nearby but even that was 500 metre away from the spot. The victim Makimul Mollah (16), a pillion rider, was a minor. The injured includes Sajma Bibi (40), a pedestrian and Suraj Molla (17) who was riding the bike when he came across two persons involved in a fistfight over some issue. Being a minor, Suaj was riding illegally.”
The senior officer from Bhangar division said: “As Suraj came close to them, a motorised cycle van came from the other side. The two men, in trying to save themselves from being hit by the van, fell on Molla’s bike. As a result, he lost his balance, his bike hit a tree and he died at the spot.”
In protest, the victim’s family and residents blocked the Ghatakpukur crossing. When police tried to remove the block, a scuffle ensued, leading to a protest surrounding the police, led by Bhangar OC. Cops said they had to remove the protesters physically after they refused to move away.
Cops said a section of bikers have been resisting wearing helmets or carrying bike documents with them. “There were earlier attempts to malign Kolkata Police as KP insists on wearing helmets. The same attempt was made on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the victim’s family alleged that the police attempted to stop the motorcyclist to extort money,” claimed an officer.