A 17-year-old Class 12 student was crushed to death under the wheels of a cement-laden truck while returning home from school in the Charik village today. The accident triggered angry protests by family members and villagers who accused local police of shielding the driver and helping to tamper with evidence.The deceased has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Charik village. Villagers alleged the truck driver was under the influence of drugs at the time and lost control of the vehicle, running over the student, who died on the spot.Soon after the accident, the victim’s family and residents gathered at the Charik police post and staged a protest, demanding strict action against the driver. The protest turned tense as demonstrators accused the police of colluding with the truck owner and driver. They alleged the accused were allowed to unload the cement cargo from the impounded vehicle after the accident — a move they claimed was aimed at destroying evidence of the driver’s intoxication and the circumstances of the crash.As tension mounted, DSP Baghapurana Jatinder Singh reached the spot to pacify the crowd. He assured protesters that all allegations, including those regarding the driver’s alleged intoxication and the conduct of police personnel at the scene, would be thoroughly investigated. “Strict disciplinary and legal action will be taken against any police official found guilty of tampering with evidence or dereliction of duty,” the DSP said.Police said further proceedings, including a medical examination report and a detailed probe into the sequence of events, would determine the course of legal action. The protest was called off after assurances from senior police officials, though villagers said they would continue to press for justice if the investigation was not conducted transparently.