People protest with body of accident victim in J’khand’s Ghatsila, seek compensation

A large number of people on Saturday demonstrated with the body of a villager killed in a road accident in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, demanding adequate compensation for the family, and withdrawal of cases against the protesters.

The people of Tamukpal village held the demonstration in front of the Ghatsila sub-divisional magistrate's (SDM) office for around an hour.

Two persons, including a woman, were killed and another was injured after a speeding truck hit a bicycle and a motorbike near Tamukpal on Thursday.

Balak Munda (60) who was on the bicycle died on the spot, while Moushmi Pal (40) succumbed in the course of treatment earlier on Saturday, Ghatsila Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ajit Kujjur said. Pal was pillion riding the motorbike while the rider was still admitted to a hospital.

The villagers had blocked a key road for hours on Thursday, demanding compensation for Munda's family, which severely affected traffic movement.

On Saturday, the villagers accused the administration of backtracking from its promise made during Thursday's road blockade and registering a case against the protestors.

The villagers claimed they had withdrawn the blockade on the assurance of the administration to look into their demand for compensation to the deceased's family.

Rejecting the allegation, Kujjur said the SDM had provided interim relief to the victim's family immediately, and the compensation would be given following completion of all formalities according to the rules of the government.

The FIR was registered against the villagers as they had squatted on the highway and disrupted road traffic for hours, the SDPO said.

Meanwhile, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren said he would visit Ghatsila to meet the Munda's family on Sunday.

Soren, a BJP leader, criticised the district administration for allegedly going back on its promise on compensation and filing cases against the protestors.

"This is the height of insensitivity. On one hand, you are not helping the affected families, and on the other, you are trying to intimidate those demanding their rights with lawsuits," the former JMM leader said in an X post.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)