Youth’s death in road accident in Bandipora triggers protest

Bandipora, June 20: A 20-year-old youth tragically died in a tractor accident in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Thursday morning.

Family members and locals said the youth, identified as Aashiq Hussain Lone, was crushed under a tractor he was driving after it turned turtle in Watpora village of the district.

The family member said he was found under the tractor which had rolled down the road into the fields at 11:00 am near Government Polytechnic College.

Following the discovery, the locals pulled him from under the tractor and rushed him to the hospital where doctors declared him "dead on arrival".

However, the family members alleged that the doctors at the hospital delayed his postmortem which infuriated them as it delayed the last rights. "It was obvious to us he was dead considering the way he was crushed under the tractor, but the doctors unnecessarily delayed the postmortem," one of the family members, Zahoor Ahamd Rather said.

The locals said they complained to the Medical Superintendent's (MS) office, however, the guards there "misbehaved with us and pushed us away." The scenes further infuriated the family who later brought the body outside the hospital gate and held protests demanding action against the MS.

MS District Hospital Bandipora, Dr Mushtaq told Greater Kashmir, "The postmortem was done." He, however, said the family was rushing for the postmortem "which is a last priority."

"The youth had injuries and was already dead", MS said. He said they had emergency cases at the time that also required attention.

Meanwhile, there was a head on colission witnessed between Alto car and Tiago car near Guroora village on Bandipora-Sumbal road. However, no one was injured in the accident.