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5 boys killed as car rams into truck
Poll victory celebrations turn sour
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Rohira (Mandi Ahmedgarh), June 30
Celebrations over winning panchayat elections turned into mourning for the three families of this village, who lost their five teenaged boys in a road accident after a car they were travelling in rammed into a truck here late last evening. One of them was critically injured and is battling for his life in Deep Hospital, Ludhiana.

Among the deceased, three belong to a family. They were coming back home from a dhaba near Jangera bridge after celebrating the victory of the sarpanch of their village, being supported by their families when the tragedy struck. The five Talab (18), Majid (19), Javed (18), Sandeep Singh (18) and Jhimpy (19) — died on the spot, and Aslam (18) was seriously injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Ludhiana.

Talab, Majid and Javed were cousins and lived in a joint family in the village. Sandeep, Jhimpy and Aslam were their friends. After hearing the results of panchayat elections in the evening, the six decided to have dinner at Neem Wala dhaba on Jangera road and celebrate the victory of their supported candidate, Mr Harchand Singh.

When they were coming back from the dhaba at around 11:15 p.m, their Maruti car (PB 10-B-0366) collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction when they tried to overtake another truck. The car was crushed in the accident. The impact of the collision was so much that the three boys sitting on the front seats and two sitting on the rear seat died on the spot. Aslam, who was sitting in the centre on the rear seat, received critical injuries. His condition was stated to be serious.

Their two other friends, who were accompanying them on a bike, said that they had passed through the road seconds before them and had seen the truck on the road. A few seconds after they heard a big blast and went back only to see their friends’ car crushed in the accident. They heard the cries of the boys. But when they tried to rescue them their bodies were entrapped in the mangled car. They had to literally pull them out. But within seconds five of them died.

A pall of gloom descended on the village last midnight after the news of the accident spread. The jubilation mood in the village turned into mourning. Their bodies were sent for post- mortem in Ludhiana Civil Hospital. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed in the village when the five blood-soaked bodies were lined up outside a house just after the accident.

The mothers of boys were crying inconsolably. Mr Faqir Hussain, the father of Javed, was visibly shaken at the deaths. He was heard saying, ‘‘How will I reply to my brothers in Saudi Arabia and Dubai who had given me the responsibility of their sons?’’ The fathers of Talab and Majid had been living in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, respectively, for the last many years and the boys were living with their mothers and uncle in the village.

The condition of Ms Iqbalo Bibi, mother of Talab, was beyond description. “They had never told me that they would go to a dhaba. I had prepared food for all of them. The entire village was eating at our house and they had gone to the dhaba to die. Had they told me in advance I would have never allowed them to go,’’ she said sobbing inconsolably. She added that Talab had to appear in an examination after a few days and she had not allowed him to go out during these days. 

Truck carrying election staff set ablaze, 6 hurt
Our Correspondent

Mansa, June 30
Six members of the panchayat elections staff, including two policemen, were seriously injured when a truck (HR23-0951) was set ablaze late night by the supporters of a defeated candidate. The truck was returning to Mansa with the election materials and the staff after the completion of the election process. The truck reached Gehle village at 11 p.m. from Gharangna and Maujja villages of the district. At Gehle village a mob said to be the supporter of the defeated candidate who contested for the post of a sarpanch in Gehle village of the district, broke the windscreen of the truck by a brick.

Later, the mob threw a petrol can into the cabin of the truck and set it ablaze. Bhola Singh, driver of the truck, succeeded in jumping out the truck’s window while the other occupants, Mr Joginder Pal, ASI, Head Constable Mr Darshan Lal, and Mr Binder Singh, Mr Sukhdev Singh, both teachers and Mr Jasbir Singh, draftsman in the Soil Conservation Department sustained burn injuries.

The truck along with the election materials of Gharangna, Maujia and Gehle villages was reduce to as per. The other occupants succeeded in jumping safely out of the truck and took the injured to a government school in Gehle village. No villager came forward to help them.

The police was informed about the incident on the wireless and after 90 minutes additional police force along with fire tenders and ambulances reached the spot. The senior officers of the district administration also reached the spot and shifted to the injured to the Civil Hospital, Mansa.

The condition of two injured policemen is said to be critical. The Mansa Sadar police has registered a case under Sections 307, 332, 435, 427, 148, 149 and 120-B of the IPC against Bhoga Singh, Bhagga Singh, Darshan Singh, Sher Singh, Tota Singh, Jagga Singh, Pala Singh, Cheema Singh Simranjit, alias Simmy, and others. The police is investigation the matter. Mr Raj Kumar Chowdhary, Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, visited the Civil Hospital today and announced that all expenses of treatment and medicines would be born by the District Red Cross Society, Mansa.

Chunnu (Muktsar): Mr Raju, a local resident, was allegedly murdered by three persons of the village, who repeatedly run him over by a vehicle on Sunday evening after they got annoyed with him during the Panchayat elections.

Mr Surinder Pal Singh, SSP, Muktsar, when contacted, said though a case under Section 302 of the IPC had been registered against the accused, investigation had been started to establish whether Raju died in a road accident or he was murdered.

He added that the kin of accused had alleged that Mr Raju had been murdered by the accused, who had beeb harbouring animosity against him due to the Panchayat election. The police had not arrested anyone in this connection so far. Action in this case would be taken only after the report of a post-morten would be received. He said that the accused had been identified.