A Trinamool Congress leader residing on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri died in an accident on NH27 on Tuesday night while his teenage daughter was injured.

The incident sparked tension, with some residents vandalising two police vehicles in protest, alleging a lack of monitoring along that stretch of NH27, the principal highway that connects the Northeast with the rest of the country.

Sources said Lutfar Rahman, 48, the president of Trinamool’s minority cell for Sadar-II block, was returning home from Jalpaiguri town on his motorcycle with his daughter, a Class IX student, after picking her up from a private tuition class.

While crossing the highway at Goshala More, a well-known crossing, a container truck coming from Mainaguri hit the motorcycle. The impact threw his daughter to the side of the road while Rahman was moved down by the truck. The truck reportedly dragged his motorcycle for nearly two kilometres.

Some people near the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College (JGEC)
More noticed the damaged motorcycle stuck under the truck and began chasing it. The traffic police personnel also pursued the vehicle, and the truck was intercepted along with its driver at Assam More, another crossing on the highway.

Bystanders rushed Rahman and his daughter to the Jalpaiguri Government Medical College & Hospital, where doctors declared Rahman dead. His daughter, who suffered a head injury, was admitted for treatment.

Irate residents blocked the highway at Goshala More. As the news spread, people reached the hospital and also at the JGEC More.

To control the situation, a police contingent led by Shoubhanik Mukhopadhyay, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters), reached the spot. The mob attacked the police, overturned one police jeep and vandalised another.

In due course, police brought the situation under control and arrested Hafizul Haque and Mustafa Hossain at the scene for vandalism.

“After the accident, some individuals attacked police vehicles. We have arrested two persons in connection with the vandalism and filed cases against them. The truck
driver responsible for the accident has been arrested,” said Y. Raghuvamshi, the Jalpaiguri SP.

On Wednesday, Rahman’s body was handed over to his family after the post-mortem.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool national general secretary, expressed his condolences over Rahman’s death through a social media post.

Mahua Gope, the Jalpaiguri district Trinamool president, expressed her grief. “We have lost a dedicated party worker. His sudden and untimely death has left us deeply saddened and shocked. This void can never be filled,” she said.