Parijat Choubey

Durgapur, Aug. 2: A young techie employed with Wipro’s Calcutta office was run over by a speeding truck after falling off his bike near Durgapur today, triggering violent protests by locals in which four policemen were injured.

Parijat Parag Choubey, whose Facebook profile mentions him as an alumnus of St Xavier’s Collegiate School in Calcutta and St Paul’s School in Darjeeling, was driving to Calcutta when his bike skidded on a cratered stretch of the highway at Panagarh around nine this morning.

The truck run over the 24-year-old’s moments after he had fallen off the bike. He died on the spot.

Friend Joydeep Das, who was riding pillion, was tossed away when the bike skidded. He suffered minor injuries.

The duo were returning to Calcutta after visiting a friend in Durgapur.

However, the truck driver and his helper managed to flee.

Area residents immediately stopped the truck and blocked National Highway 2 with burning tyres. They also clashed with the police. A bus and the killer truck were damaged by the demonstrators.

At least 15 persons were arrested over the protests.

Parijat’s father Raj Kumar Choubey said he was informed about his son’s death when he was in office in Calcutta, where he is a senior executive.

“I rushed to Durgapur along with my wife on getting the news of the accident,” Raj Kumar told The Telegraph.

His son had joined Wipro only 15 months ago after graduating from the Bengal College of Engineering and Technology in Durgapur, Raj Kumar said.

Panagarh residents pointed at the poor condition of the 3.2km highway stretch in the busy market area, which had caused several accidents in the past.

“In the past 10 days, five persons have died in this stretch in as many accidents,” local trader Ratan Agarwal said.

The highway is narrower near Panagarh Bazaar than in other stretches.

“The national highway authority has done nothing about repairing the road,” he said.