Chennai: Angry mob sets killer lorry afire
The villagers from Chithalapakkam near Thirumukudal also staged a road roko with the corpse.
Chennai: An angry mob set fire to a tipper lorry after it ran over a class X girl student riding pillion in her father's bicycle in neighbouring Kancheepuram district on Monday evening.
The villagers from Chithalapakkam near Thirumukudal also staged a road roko with the corpse, which was later moved to Chengelpet Government Hospital for an autopsy. Cops used mild force to disperse the mob.
The deceased, identified as Premalatha (15), student of a government school in Thirumukudal, was riding with her father Neelakandan on his bicycle. When the duo neared Chithalapakkam by Wallajahbad Road, a tipper lorry laden with blue metal speeding towards Salavakkam knocked the bicycle, which slowed down to climb a speed breaker, at around 4.30 pm. Neelankandan fell away from the lorry while his daughter came under the rear left wheels of the lorry and died on the spot.
The angry villagers began stoning the lorry forcing the driver and those travelling in the cabin to abandon the vehicle. The crew fled the scene fearing mob lynching. The mob swelled and some people set the lorry on fire. A TNFRS vehicle from Kancheepuram was called, and pressed into service. By the time the fire dousing exercise was complete the lorry was gutted.
Cops from the town rushed to the accident spot and held talks with the protesters. The contention of the protesters was that the frequency of accidents is high in that stretch and the killer vehicles continue to be speeding tipper lorries. They also demanded that the lorry driver be arrested with immediate effect. Salavakkam Police assured that the lorry driver would be traced with the help of the lorry owner at the earliest.
After marathon talks did not resolve the issue, the cops resorted to force to disperse the mob and remove the corpse and to let the traffic flow.