Keonjhar: A five-year-old boy was run over by a truck near Hadgarh under Soso police station limits in the district on Thursday morning, triggering protests from locals who demanded compensation.
The deceased, Akash Munda from Bhadrak district, was attending a festival with his parents, Kalia and Mukta Munda, at Dolapadi village. The incident occurred around 9 am when Akash was crossing the road and a speeding truck, owned by a local sarpanch’s husband, hit the child, killing him on spot.
Locals detained the truck driver and vehicle before handing them over to the police. They staged protest blocking the road at Hadagada-Chhenapadi chowk, placing the victim’s body on the road, and disrupting traffic for nearly six hours.
“The roadblock was lifted around 3pm after the vehicle owner agreed to meet the villagers’ compensation demand,” said Bijay Kumar Bihari, inspector in-charge of Soso police station. “The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem examination.” The driver was detained for questioning and the truck has been seized. Police, after registering a case, are investigating the incident.