Kolkata: Car hits lockdown cop; student, executive arrested – Times of India

KOLKATA: The first day of the 48-hour lockdown was by and large successful, courtesy the rain that kept most people indoors. However, some rule violations were reported across the city on Thursday, including one in which a traffic sergeant was hit by a speeding car. In certain pockets of the southern and northern fringes, cops had to shut down milk booths and tea stalls as well.
The accident was reported between 6.20am and 6.45am at the Kankurgachhi crossing. A senior executive of a consultancy firm in Sector V and his friend, a student from Behala, broke through two nakas and hit a sergeant when he tried to stop them. Akash Halder, 24, a resident of Diamond City West condo, was driving the car owned by Titash Mitra, 33, a resident of Basudevpur in Behala Shakuntala Park. The sergeant, Biswajit Saha, sustained injuries on his forehead, shoulder and other parts of the body and was taken to Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals. He was later discharged. The accused were nabbed from the Shakuntala Park and Sarsuna areas in the next couple of hours and their car was seized.
Cops said the two were returning from Kolaghat when the accident happened.
“We are ascertaining whether they had been under the influence of alcohol. A case of attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public serv-ant from duty and rash driving has been registered against the two,” said DC (ESD) Ajoy Prasad.
The Toyota Corolla Altis, driven in a rash and negligent manner, crossed Hudco at high speed around 6.20am. The traffic police tried to stop it, but failed. “The driver did not pay any heed to cops and sped towards Kankurgachhi crossing. Saha was informed about the car on wireless and decided to stop it at the intersection,” said Prasad.
Police sources said it was raining intensely at that time and Saha took a few steps to the middle of the road, asking his colleagues to continue putting up the guard rail so that the accused could not escape. “But the accused intentionally hit the officer, crashed into the guard rail and fled,” an officer said.
In two other separate incidents — on the Baguiati flyover and VIP Road — five persons were injured when they tried to speed on the wet roads.