Bahanaga: A youth was killed, and another sustained critical injuries after being hit by a speeding cattle-laden vehicle while chasing it on National Highway 16 near Barikpur under Soro police limits in Balasore district Tuesday. The vehicle was later apprehended by the police, while the driver fled the spot. Members of a cow protection group and Bajrang Dal staged a protest later in the day, placing the body on the highway near Khantapada police station and demanding compensation.
Reports said that cow vigilantes chased the vehicle early in the morning following information about an alleged cattle smuggling. Two youths Krupasindhu Behera and Lambodhar Mohapatra of Alsuan village under Kasaba Jaypur panchayat, chased the vehicle on a motorcycle before it rammed them near Khantapada on NH-16.
Locals rushed the injured to Soro hospital, where doctors declared Behera dead. Mohapatra, who sustained critical injuries, was shifted to Balasore and later referred to SB Medical College and hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment. Khantapada police seized the vehicles and registered a case in this connection. Further investigations are on.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
