Kolkata:
Three children - all around five years old - were run over by a speeding lorry on the Belghoria Expressway on Kolkata's northern outskirts today.
Two other children, who were also standing by expressway, were also injured. One of them is in hospital in a critical condition.
All the children were cousins who had come to Rabindra Nagar to spend a weekend with relatives. An adult was accompanying them home when the accident occurred.
The driver and assistant of the lorry fled after locals beat them up. The driver told locals that he lost control because the police was chasing him to take a bribe.
"This is routine in the area," said Shoma Sur who claimed she was an eyewitness. "Police stop trucks and take money. The lorry driver also said the same thing when people were thrashing him," she added.
Dozens of people gathered at the accident spot seconded her. "Which is why people attacked the police when they came here," said another woman, Piu Sarkar.
Angry locals blocked the road that links the airport to National Highway 2. When police arrived on the spot, locals threw bricks at them and set fire to two vehicles. One of the policemen had left a rifle in the vehicle that was set on fire. The rifle was destroyed.
Traffic on the expressway came to a halt. Police had to resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the mob. It took them over an hour to control the situation, douse the fires and tow away the police vehicles and the lorry. The road was then reopened.
But locals there are furious. They claim the lorry was speeding to flee policemen who routine collect bribes from them. The police has strongly denied this charge.
"If someone can give me names or police vehicle numbers seen taking bribes, we will take action," said Niraj Singh, Commissioner, Barrackpore Commissionerate.
Locals who made the allegation could not give such details.
Mr Singh also said a hunt was on for the driver and the lorry would be tested to check for mechanical failure.