Kataka: A fatal road accident in Odisha’s Kataka resulted in the death of a local shopkeeper after he was struck by an SUV allegedly driven by a senior municipal official.
The accident took place late on Wednesday in Netaji Nagar area when the victim, identified as Pradeep Kumar Parida, was returning home on foot after closing his shop.
According to sources, the SUV belonged to and was allegedly being driven by Ashwini Kumar Das, the Executive Officer of the Dhenkanal Municipality. Following the collision, Executive Officer Das loaded the critically injured shopkeeper into his vehicle and rushed him to SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack, where he ws declared dead on arrival.
The incident sparked public outrage, exacerbated by a video circulating on social media that reportedly shows Das speaking on his mobile phone while carrying the injured victim to the hospital. The footage has raised public scrutiny regarding his actions following the mishap. Conflicting accounts have also surfaced over whether Das remained at SCB Hospital after bringing the victim or left the premises shortly after.
Aggrieved family members and locals gathered at the hospital premises, demanding strict legal action against the officer, who is suspected to have been driving rashly. While police are investigating the exact sequence of events and whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Das, who shuttled between his residence in Kataka and his workplace in Dhenkanal, could not contacted for comments as his phone was found switched off.