Bhubaneswar: Putting all speculation to rest, Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo on Monday confirmed that the tripper truck deliberately crashed into the car, leading to the death of two BJP leaders.
“From the video footage, it appears that the driver of the truck had hit the car intentionally. A case has been registered accordingly. We are collecting other scientific evidence. Some of his associates are also being questioned. We will be able to give a clearer picture by evening,” the SP said.
The truck driver has been identified as Prasanna Jenamani (30) of Athmallik area in Angul district.
The accident took at 1.30 am on Sunday on NH 53 under Burla police limits when a group of six, including the driver, was returning to Chipilima from Bhubaneswar. Debendra Nayak, BJP’s Goshala mandal president, and Muralidhar Chhuria, a former sarpanch, died in the crash, while two others sustained critical injuries.
It was earlier alleged that the truck hit the car three times and toppled it off the road. Rohan Nayak, son of Devendra Nayak and a doctor by profession, had lodged a complaint with police, claiming the same.
Suresh Chanda, one of the injured, also told the media that the car veered onto a rural road near Kantapalli Square after being hit the first time, but the truck driver allegedly chased the vehicle and rammed into it again, following which it overturned. “I believe it was intentional. By mistake, one can hit a vehicle once, but why hit it thrice?” he asked.
