Rehri-puller loses leg in hit-&-run

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 7

Close on the heels of the hit-and-run case in which a rickshaw-puller’s leg had to be amputated and who later died, another rehri-puller lost his leg when a recklessly-driven car sped away after hitting the victim on the road separating Sectors 36 and 37 last night.

The right leg of the victim got severed from the body at the accident spot. Sources said the victim, Ram Kumar, was returning from Mohali to Sector 22 when the car hit his rehri from the rear side.

The car driver sped away from the spot, leaving the victim in a pool of blood.

Passersby informed the police, following which a PCR vehicle rushed the injured to the PGI.

Navdeep Singh Brar, ASP (South), said an Eritga car, bearing a registration number of Chandigarh, was suspected to be involved in the accident. “Eyewitnesses have given the last digits of the registration number of the car, which are being verified,” the ASP said.

Earlier on March 19, Ram Singh, a rickshaw-puller who was coming back from the Community Centre, Sector 48, was hit by a recklessly-driven unidentified vehicle on the road dividing Sectors 46 and 47. The victim’s left leg was amputated and later he succumbed to his injuries on April 2. The ASP said overspeeding was the reason behind both accidents. “We are planning to start a drive with the help of some NGO to paste reflectors on rickshaws and cycles so that these are visible from a distance,” the police official said.

Need for high-resolution CCTV cameras

The rising number of hit-and-run cases has once again pointed towards the need for having high-resolution CCTV cameras at intersections so that vehicles involved in hit-and-run cases can be traced.

Sector 22 traders lend a helping hand

Traders of Sector 22, where the victim used to stay, have come forward to support him. Navneet Goel, who has his shop in Sector 22, said he, along with others, was assisting the victim in his treatment.