Violence in Uttar Pradesh town after schoolboy’s death

PRATAPGARH - The death of a teenaged student, mowed down by a speeding bus, sparked violence in this Uttar Pradesh town Tuesday, with an angry mob indulging in arson and fighting pitched battles with police, officials said.

Demanding that the police handover the guilty driver to them, the mob torched the private bus, smashed window panes of other vehicles and targeted other property in the Kotwali area of Pratapgarh, some 150 km from Lucknow.

Shivam Tiwari, 15, a class 9 student of the Angel Inter College, was crushed to death by the bus while he was crossing a road.

“After knocking down the student, the driver did not stop and tried to escape from the spot. However, locals chased him and caught him,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Shivaji Shukla told reporters here.

“We had a tough time in getting the custody of the driver from the angry public. We even had to use force in order to disperse the protesters. Taking into account the series of violent protests, additional security has been deployed in the area,” he added.

While a case against the driver has been registered, police said those who indulged in arson and vandalism would also be booked.