On Tuesday, 26 January, a water tanker ran over few women in Amritsar’s Vallah region that led to death of two of them while three others were left injured. The women were going to take part in a sit-in protest against the contentious farm laws.
Soon after the incident took place, various political leaders shared the video blaming each other for the incident, even though the police maintains that the driver of the water tanker ‘does not have any political affiliation.’
Congress leader Alka Lamba shared its visuals mentioning that “BJP workers” were behind the act.
(Disclaimer: The Quint has not added the links to the viral tweets due to the graphic nature of the video.)
On the other hand, BJP Delhi’s Naveen Kumar shared the visuals asking if Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and political activist Yogendra Yadav will take responsibility for the incident.
Priti Gandhi, national incharge of social media of BJP’s Mahila Morcha, too, shared the video with the text: “Sharing deeply distressing, heart wrenching visuals from #FarmersProtestHijacked. Two old Women were killed & three badly Injured when a tractor ran over them. Not just the protesters, even those who are supporting them have blood on their hands!! (sic)”
The Quint’s WebQoof WhatsApp tipline received a query on a post that showed the same video with the text: “Farmers killed 2 women after running them over with their tractors, many injured.”
WHAT DOES THE POLICE SAY?
Speaking to The Quint, SHO Vellah Sanjeev Kumar said that the driver of the water tanker has been identified as Shuklal Singh and an FIR has been filed against him under section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and section 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code.
“The driver does not have any political affiliation and he is in police custody. He is a construction worker by profession and not a driver. He does not have a driving license either. He lost control of the vehicle and the incident occurred.”Sanjeev Kumar, SHO Vellah
WHAT DOES A LOCAL REPORTER HAVE TO SAY?
The Quint also got in touch with a local reporter who told us that there were a group of women who were returning from a gurdwara in Vellah and were going to join a protest against the farm laws.
“They were on their way to join the protest and a water tanker coming from behind ran over five women. One died on the spot. The other four were taken to a hospital but one of them, too, succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital. Three women were treated,” he added.
He further confirmed that the driver of the tanker has no political affiliation.
Several organisations such as NDTV, Amar Ujala had published reports on the said incident.
The NDTV report mentioned that an eyewitness said, "A group of 50-60 women were going to the protest site (in Vallah) in solidarity with the farmers' protests when a water tanker ran over them. The villagers captured the driver and called the police to the accident site.”
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