Birajakhetra: Tension prevailed here after a Plus III student was crushed to death by an eight-wheeler on Baruan-Jajpur road in Jajpur district Tuesday.
Hundreds of students of Narsingh Chowdhury College thronged the spot and burnt tyres on the road bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt. The agitation intensified after locals came out in support of the students.
The incident occurred when Sriram Nayak, the only son of Satyanand, of Kacheri village was on his way to the college on a motorbike. He fell under the wheels of the truck while trying to overtake the vehicle after the bike’s leg guard got stuck on a sand bag along the road.
Jajpur IIC Prasant Kumar Mall reached the spot and tried to pacify the agitators. However, the students continued their stir demanding compensation for Nayak’s family. Meanwhile, on the orders of the local administration a hearse reached the spot to carry the body.
But the students detained the vehicle and beat up its driver without letting the body to be taken until their demands were met. They alleged that the delay in construction of the road led to the mishap. They also torched a labour camp at the construction site and vandalised a fire tender while it was on its way to douse the flames.
Meanwhile, someone hit the fire tender driver critically injuring his head. The police also failed to draw near the crowd as they pelted stones at them. Many were reported to have been hurt in the stone-pelting.
The agitating students accused the administration of supporting the contractors who delay road construction projects.
Later, the agitators stormed into road and building SDO’s office, ransacked the premises and set many important documents and furniture on fire. The stir continued for four hours while no government official reached the spot, it was learnt.
While the district collector has gone abroad for a training programme, other government officials were at a public hearing meeting in Rasulpur block.
After four hours of mayhem, sub-collector Maheswar Panigrahy, revenue officer Anup Kumar Sahu, Jajpur IIC Prasant Kumar Mall, Sadar IIC Alok Ranjan Rao and Binjharpur IIC Asit Kumar Mohanty reached the spot and pacified the agitated students.
The agitation was called off after the officials assured the students of against the JE and SDO. The students were also assured that construction works would be taken up at nights while speed-breakers will be built on the college road. Compensation to the bereaved family would be provided form the district Red Cross Fund, the officials said.
Later, the students carried the body on a procession to the district headquarters hospital and subsequently carried out the last rites. PNN