An agitated mob vandalises the killer truck near Tata Steel general office in Bistupur on Thursday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

A 30-year-old helmet-less biker was crushed under the wheels of an overtaking truck at a traffic signal in Jamshedpur on Thursday morning, triggering angry protests and arson that held up vehicular movement for two hours in the afternoon.

Police have identified the victim as Liaqul Zaman Khan, an industrial worker in Mango and resident of Barinagar in Telco. They have also seized the truck and arrested the driver who was caught and thrashed by the mob.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident on Bistupur-Sakchi Road near the Tata Steel general office took place around 11.20am. Both Liaqul — who was on his way to work — and the trucker were in a hurry to cross the signal before it turned red. In the mad rush, the heavy vehicle hit the bike, knocked the youth off his seat and ran him over on the spot, barely 300 metres from Bistupur police station.

The horrible accident frayed nerves and livid passers-by hurled bricks at the truck, smashing its windscreen and prompting the driver, who was dragging the body tangled in the wheels, to a halt. He tried to escape after abandoning the vehicle, but was caught and publicly flogged before Tata Steel security guards rescued him.

The irate mob then set the killer truck on fire. A police team later doused the flames and called in the riot control squad. But, the protesters — around 50 of them — squatted on the middle of the road in front of Tata general office, disrupting traffic flow on the artery.

They demanded relocation of the traffic light from the spot, saying it was unnecessary, and sought adequate compensation from the district administration for the bereaved family. The agitators refused to budge till East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal personally arrived on the spot and made the promises.

Officers-in-charge of Bistupur and Sakchi Jitendra Kumar and Gopal Singh, however, managed to convince the protesters that their demands would be met. The blockade was lifted around 1.30pm.

“We have arrested the driver and seized the truck. We will recommend for adequate compensation,” Bistupur OC Kumar said, adding that they would also recommend removal of the signal.