2 Bangladeshis killed in Kolkata road crash
A Mercedes, hit by the speeding Jaguar, was flung on to the Kolkata traffic post killing two bystanders and injuring another. All three Bangladeshi nationals had taken shelter under the post from the rain
Two Bangladeshi citizens were killed and another injured in a bizarre late- Friday-night road accident in south Kolkata when a Jaguar travelling at high speed hit a Mercedes sedan which was flung on a Kolkata Police traffic post killing the victims who had taken shelter under it from rain. The traffic post was uprooted from its concrete base due to the ferocity of the impact.
The dead identified as Kazi Mohammad Mainul Alam (36) and Farhana Islam Tania (28) were standing under the shed of the traffic post along with another Bangladeshi who is reported to have escaped with injuries in the impact. The accident took place around 1:50 am, only a few metres from the Shakespeare Sarani police station.
“Hearing the impact, cops came running out and took the injured to the hospital, where the two were declared dead,” said a police officer, who refused to be identified.
An official of Bangladesh deputy high commission in Kolkata said that Kazi Mohammad, a resident of Jhinaidaha in Bangladesh was in Kolkata for eye treatment and Farhana Islam Tania used to work for Citibank. “We have not been able to speak to the third person, who, we gather, was released after treatment,” said the Bangladeshi official.
Policemen say they have identified the owner of the Jaguar bearing registration number - WB20AU9797. “The vehicle belonged to a biryani outlet on Park Street. We have identified the owner. The culprit would be arrested shortly,” said an officer.
The Jaguar was speeding at over 100 km per hour at the time of the accident. The absconding driver has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash driving along with some sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
According to the police, the occupants of the Mercedes were also injured but were released after initial treatment. Police officers did not reveal their identity.
The bodies of the two victims who had come to Kolkata about two weeks ago are likely to be handed over on Saturday evening.
“The bodies are at the morgue of the SSKM Hospital,” the Bangladeshi official said.
Only on August 15 night, the son of Bharatiya Janata Party MP Roopa Ganguly was arrested for rash driving when his car hit a wall in Golf Garden area of south Kolkata. However, none was injured in that accident.
Vehicles, speeding especially at night, are a headache for the city administration. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been personally monitoring a road safety programme over the past two years.
