Angry locals stage protest against police department, authorities over road accidents in Mangaluru
Demand immediate removal of signal at Kankanady Junction, blame cops for death of woman on Thursday
Mangaluru: Locals in Mangaluru on Thursday staged a protest against the police department and local administration over their failure in administering and regulating traffic at key junctions in the city. The protest was staged after a 55-year-old woman died on the spot after being mowed down by a private bus at Bendoorwell Junction here.
Angry protesters threatened to block the Bendorwell Junction and Kankanady Junction if their demands of suspending the signal at Kankanady Junction, pasting Zebra crossing, and laying speed breakers were not met immediately.
The protesters, led by a few youngsters asserted that the signal at Kankanady Junction was unscientifically installed recently after the new police commissioner took charge. They also added that several road diversions and traffic regulations were undertaken unscientifically leading to rise in the number of accidents and deaths.
The death of the woman today was the second of its kind in less than a week. Earlier an 11-year-old kid died on the spot after falling off a two-wheeler after it was hit by a private bus.
“In order to escape the red light on Kankanady Junction, the private bus driver cruise through the Bendoorwell Junction without bothering about the pedestrians and two-wheelers here,” the protesters claimed, adding that the signal at Kankanady Junction should be immediately removed and the traffic should be managed manually by policemen.
"Nobody has come now to listen to our demands, not even the MLA. The same people will come begging for votes during the election and then they will not care about the grievances of the people. We are only demanding our safety, for how long we should be walking on the road with fear of being mowed down by a private bus in the city?" one of the protesters questioned.
"Only the police department and authorities are to be blamed for these deaths. We have seen six people dying at this junction alone in the last six months," they further added.
The protesters also demanded that the Police Commissioner visit the spot and look at their grievances. The top cop however supplemented his subordinates who reached the spot and tried to pacify the crowd.
Former MLA Moideen Bawa and others also reached the spot and extended support to the protesters and their demands. Bawa made several attempts to pacify the crowd, but they persisted with their demand to meet Police Commissioner at the spot. Bawa urged Police Commissioner to reach the spot but the latter expressed his inability to visit the spot due to his other engagements.
Bawa then arranged a meeting with Police Commissioner and returned to the spot. He added that the Police Commissioner and other top officials would come to the spot later at 6 pm as they were busy on election duty.
ACP Mahesh Kumar and other police officials were also present at the protesting site. Kumar noted all the demands of the protesters and assured them that their demands would be considered and appropriate measures will be undertaken. He however added that removing the signal from Kankanady Junction was not an appropriate solution to the problem.
The protesters also expressed their discontent with Police Commissioner failing to reach out to the people when they demand and asserted that being a public servant the top cop should have immediately reached the spot and paid heed to the grievances of the public.
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
