Governor seeks report on Jaipur tunnel accident

Jaipur : Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva Tuesday sought a report from the state government over an accident in a tunnel here two days ago in which passers-by ignored a man’s pleas for help after a truck mowed down his wife and infant daughter, officials said.

The accident in Jaipur occurred in the kilometre-long Ghat Ki Guni tunnel Sunday.

Guddi Devi and her eight-month-old daughter Arushi were killed when a truck knocked them off the motorcycle they were riding pillion on and mowed them down. Her husband and son had a miraculous escape.

CCTV footages showed that the woman’s husband, Kanhaiyalal Raigher, and his four-year-old son Tanish, sought the help of people passing-by for almost 20 minutes. However, no one stopped to help them, police said.

“I have asked for a detailed report from the government on the accident at ‘Ghat ki Guni’ and reason for the delay in help reaching them. The government, I hope, will consider ways to make driving through the tunnel safer,” Alva said in a press release.

“I am deeply saddened and disturbed by our response as a society to the unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter at ‘Ghat ki Guni’ tunnel in Jaipur on Sunday,” Alva said.

“The CCTV footage shows an injured motorcyclist, clutching his surviving five-year-old son, begging passers-by for help even as his wife and six-month-old daughter lay dead on the road. Motorists and other passers-by looked on curiously but did not stop to help. After the wailing father collapsed on the road, his son kept crying for help. It was after some delay that people responded,” she said.

“I cannot help recalling the indifferent attitude of people in New Delhi to a young girl who, after being gang-raped, was thrown off a moving bus on the roadside to die. That girl lay naked on the footpath, along with her friend, on a cold December night. Then too, many passers-by simply looked at the victims but did not stop to help,” said Alva.