Rayagada: Protesters staging a road blockade on National Highway 326 in Rayagada town during the nationwide strike Thursday had a close shave after a police bus suffered brake failure and rolled towards the group of protesters. However, no injuries were reported, officials said.
The incident occurred at Siriguda Chhak on NH-326, which passes through the town, where members of a workers’ organisation had been staging a demonstration since 6am. At around 9am, a bus carrying more than 30 police personnel was travelling from Rayagada to Nabarangpur when its brakes allegedly failed near the protest site. The bus began moving rapidly towards the demonstrators. After the driver shouted about the brake failure, protesters sitting on the road and journalists covering the agitation ran to safety. More than 100 protesters, media representatives and over 38 police personnel and jawans on board the bus narrowly escaped injury, sources said.
According to data available on the transport department’s portal, the bus is more than 14 years and three months old. While its fitness certificate was valid, the vehicle reportedly did not have valid insurance or pollution clearance documents. When contacted, Rayagada Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gourahari Sahu said all necessary documents of the bus were in order and that it had been duly authorised. The incident has triggered public criticism, as transport and police authorities routinely fine citizens for lacking valid insurance, pollution and vehicle fitness certificates. Had the bus run over people and caused casualties, compensation could have been difficult in the absence of valid insurance, locals said.
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