Mob torches 3 buses in Pipili after couple killed in mishap

Pipili: Three buses were torched by a mob near Hata Chhak in Pipili after a couple riding a moped was run over by a bus going towards Bhubaneswar today.

Police were deployed at the spot as tension erupted following the road mishap at Hata Chhak, which killed the couple identified as Hadu Khan and his wife of Asarala village of Jajpur.

Eyewitnesses said the speeding bus ‘Sarala’ going towards Bhubaneswar from Puri hit the couple on the moped bike while overtaking them leading to the death of the duo on the spot.

As per reports some policemen, who reached the spot after receiving information, were beaten up by agitating locals. Apart from this, vehicles halted on NH-316 connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri were damaged during the road blockade following the tension. Some irate locals blocked old NH-203 as well protesting the incident.

Till filing of this report, vehicular movement between Puri and Bhubaneswar had not resumed due to the tension.

Meanwhile, the Private Bus Owners' Association has condemned the torching of buses by mob. The Bhubaneswar Bus Association has decided to stop the services to Puri, Konark and Nimapara from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar in protest of the incident from tomorrow.

The association has demanded for compensation and waiver of loan installment of the burnt vehicles.

"The administration and police failed as such incident happened in their presence," said secretary Odisha Private Bus Owners' Association Devendra Sahoo.