ICE-CREAM VENDOR KILLED

ICE-CREAM VENDOR KILLED

5-MAY-ENG 18

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------On the Bihiya-Bihta State Highway—near the Kanaeel Tola School within the Piro police station limits of the district—an out-of-control pickup truck ran over a bicycle-riding ice cream vendor. The victim died on the spot as a result of the accident. Following the incident, the driver abandoned the pickup truck and fled the scene. The incident caused chaos and panic in the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, the incident sparked outrage among local villagers. Demanding compensation, the villagers staged a road blockade near Kanaeel Tola on the Bihiya-Bihta State Highway, placing the deceased's body on the road. Due to the blockade lasting nearly four hours, long queues of vehicles formed on both sides of the road, and traffic came to a complete standstill.

Upon receiving the information, Piro SDPO Krishna Kumar Singh, BDO Ashok Kumar, and Station House Officer (SHO) Deepak Kumar Sah arrived at the scene with a police force; they reasoned with the crowd and successfully cleared the blockade. Additionally, Block Development Officer (BDO) Ashok Kumar handed over a cash sum of ₹23,000 to the deceased's family members to cover funeral expenses. Subsequently, the police took custody of the body and sent it to the Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

According to reports, the deceased has been identified as Santosh Chaudhary, a 25-year-old son of Dharikshan Chaudhary, a resident of Chedi Tola village within the Piro police station area. He was an ice cream vendor who used to travel from village to village on his bicycle to sell ice cream. Meanwhile, the deceased's elder brother, Sanoj Kumar, stated that on Monday morning—just as he did every day—Santosh had gone to Kanaeel Tola to sell ice cream. During this time, an out-of-control pickup truck ran him over, resulting in his death at the scene. Upon receiving the news, his family members rushed to the accident site.

It is reported that the deceased was the third child among four brothers and one sister. His surviving family members include his mother Kalavati Devi, his wife Kavita Devi, his two sons—Ashish Kumar and Ritesh Kumar—and his daughter, Saloni Kumari. The incident has plunged the deceased's home into deep mourning and grief.