A BA final year student was killed and her cousin sister injured after they were deliberately run over by a mini good vehicle in Gorakhpur’s Chauri Chaura area on Sunday. The incident occurred when the two were heading to their college to appear for an examination, as per reports.
According to police, the accused – Gulzar Ali alias Rahman alias Arman Ali and Salman – had been harassing the victim for the past week, repeatedly attempting to get her phone number. On Sunday morning around 10:40 AM, when the sisters were walking to their examination center in Jagdishpur, the accused intercepted them with their vehicle. After the girls refused to talk to them and resisted their advances, the accused deliberately ran them over.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the Magic vehicle stopping ahead of the girls, and when they approached, Salman allegedly took control of the steering wheel from Gulzar and deliberately ran over them. One sister died on the spot while the other was injured.
The post-mortem report revealed that the victim suffered fatal injuries including a fractured skull and broken chest bones from being run over from behind.
The incident sparked protests as locals blocked the Gorakhpur-Kushinagar highway for two hours on Monday, demanding encounter of the accused and demolition of their houses. The blockade caused long traffic queues from the airport to Sonbarsa.
The victim’s father, who works as a sanitation worker, expressed his grief saying, “I worked hard to educate my children so they wouldn’t have to do the same work as me. My daughter was bright in studies and wanted to prepare for civil services after completing her BA in Political Science and History.”
Police have arrested both accused – Gulzar Ali on Sunday and Salman on Monday evening. Local MLA Sarvan Nishad visited the victim’s family and assured them of strict action against the culprits, including bulldozer action against their properties, and financial assistance from the government.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, with locals demanding capital punishment for the accused. Police have been deployed in the village to maintain peace and order.
