17-yr-old Kanwariya dies in mishap, protesters block Delhi-Jaipur NH

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, July 31
Angered by the death of a 17-year-old Kanwariya and injuries to two others in an accident, a group of Kanwariyas blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway for over three hours near the Rampura flyover in the early hours of Wednesday.
The protesters demanded compensation for the deceased and eventually agreed to reopen the road after officials assured them of compensation.

According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Hemant Meena, a resident of Paneda village in the Kotputli-Behror district of Rajasthan. He had gone to Haridwar for Dak Kanwar with other youths from his village, and they were returning with the Kanwar when the accident occurred around 2.45 am on Wednesday.
Hemant was killed on the spot, while two of his associates, identified as Abhishek Meena and Yogesh Kumwat, both from his village, were critically injured when a speeding truck rammed into their motorcycle from behind.
After receiving information, a police team arrived at the scene and rushed the injured to a hospital. Soon after, other Kanwariyas gathered at the spot, held protests and blocked both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur highway.
Upon receiving the information, senior police officers and the SDM reached the site. The protesters demanded a government job, Rs 50 lakh in compensation for the victim’s family and free treatment for the injured. The SDM assured them that their demands would be forwarded to the government, and the road was reopened around 6 am.
The truck driver fled the scene, leaving his vehicle behind, but was later arrested by the police. An FIR has been registered against the truck driver at the Kherki Daula police station. The police handed over the body to the deceased’s family after conducting a postmortem.
“Hemant was the sole breadwinner of his family. His father had passed away, leaving him responsible for his mother and two sisters. The accident was a result of the truck driver’s negligence; he was driving rashly, and the truck was overloaded,” said Pawan, a member of the Dak Kanwar group.
“The truck driver, identified as Kuldeep (27), a resident of Badsahapura village in Agra district of UP, has been arrested. We are questioning the accused, and the injured are receiving treatment at the hospital,” said a spokesperson for the Gurugram police.