The death of a student following a road accident has caused unrest in Bansdroni in Tollygunge area with locals putting up roadblocks for several hours.

People in the area took to the streets since Wednesday morning, questioning who is responsible for the death. Police said the deceased boy’s name was Soumya Sil, a Class IX student of Gangapuri Shiksha Sadan School. His father is a rickshaw puller and the family lives in Bansdroni.

On Wednesday morning, the boy was on his way to tuition classes near the Dinesh Nagar auto stand in Ward 113, under the jurisdiction of the Bansdroni police station, when a JCB (excavator) ran over him. The JCB, which was stationed for road repairs, along with a payload, was vandalized later. Locals have blocked the police, protesting and demanding that the local councillor come to the accident site. Police said this morning, the student from Ward 113 was going to his coaching classes. Near that center, road repair was underway when a JCB hit the student and crushed him against a tree. The boy suffered severe head injuries. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he could not be saved. Upon receiving the news, the police arrived at the accident site, where angry locals surrounded them. Even OC Bansdroni was heckled, he was rescued by special forces from an irate mob. Locals claimed that the condition of the roads in the area has been poor for years, despite repeated reminders to the councilor, Anita Kar Majumdar. For the past three years, road repair work has been on, leaving the road in a terrible state full of pits. Even a short spell of rain causes waterlogging making it risky for commuters.

Regarding the accident, Anita said, “It is very unfortunate. Drainage and road construction work was on and so the JCB was there. It hit the student, resulting in his death.” However, she clarified that the road repair work was being done by a contractor and not by the municipality. She stated, “The responsibility was with the contractor.” MLA Debashish Kumar, MMiC, said road repairing work was started there. In another incident, at least 12 people met with an accident while performing tarpan at Gangasagar on Mahalaya day today. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning on national highway 117 in Diamond Harbour. Several individuals are reported to be in critical condition. According to local sources, seven people have been seriously injured near the Kashinagar area. Eyewitnesses reported that 12 devotees from Mayapur ISKCON had hired an auto from Diamond Harbour and Baruipur to travel towards Gangasagar.