The residents of Samana continued their protest for the seventh consecutive day on Saturday, warning that they would block the highway if the accused truck owner is not arrested soon.
Advertisement
The protest stems from the tragic May 7 road accident in which a sand-laden tipper truck rammed into an Innova ferrying schoolchildren, killing seven children aged between 6 and 13.
The sit-in, which began on May 30, is being held at Mata Rani Chowk outside the Tehsil Complex.
Grieving residents have accused the administration of failing to arrest Randhir Singh, the owner of the truck involved in the accident.
On Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav visited the protest site and was met with mock aarti performed by aggrieved women — a gesture traditionally meant for welcome but used here to express irony.
Despite the hostile reception, Yadav remained composed and embraced several grieving mothers. “I am a mother myself and understand the pain of losing a child,” she said. “Since the day of the accident, I have stood with them in their grief.”
She assured the families that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had directed a time-bound and impartial investigation, with the strictest action to be taken against those found guilty.
The DC also announced a series of immediate measures aimed at preventing such tragedies in the future. These include a ban on the movement of tipper trucks during school hours on Samana Road, strict enforcement of the School Safe Vahan Policy, identification and correction of accident-prone black spots, and a crackdown on heavy vehicles flouting traffic norms.
On Friday, local MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra and DC Yadav again faced the ire of residents. Jouramajra, who was greeted with slogans accusing the administration of shielding the accused, denied having any ties with the truck owner. He sat with the grieving families and offered his condolences.
Despite repeated assurances from officials, the protestors have refused to end the dharna, demanding the immediate arrest of Randhir Singh.
Meanwhile, the investigation has uncovered serious lapses concerning the truck. It was being driven by a 19-year-old without a valid licence for heavy vehicles.
Records show that the truck’s fitness certificate had expired in January 2024, its pollution certificate in July 2023, and its road tax was only valid up to December 2023. In addition, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Yamunanagar, Haryana, had issued a challan for the truck back in December 2022.
A case has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, against driver Bhupinder Singh from Train village in Patiala’s Pasyana and the truck’s owner, Randhir Singh. While the driver has been arrested, Randhir Singh remains absconding.
English (US) ·