Two young men lost their lives and two others were critically injured early Monday morning in a high-speed motorcycle crash on the Ultadanga flyover, reigniting concerns about reckless driving in Kolkata.
According to police, the accident occurred around 5.30 a.m. when four youths on a motorcycle, reportedly racing with another vehicle, lost control and crashed into the railing of the Lake Town-bound lane of the flyover. None of the riders were wearing helmets, police said. On impact, all four riders flung onto the road. Officers from Lake Town police station responded swiftly and transported the victims to a nearby hospital, where two were declared dead on arrival. The remaining two are undergoing treatment in critical condition. Initial investigations suggest the motorcycle may have skidded before crashing. However, authorities are examining all possible causes, including vehicle condition, road surface, and the role of speed.
Advertisement
This is the second fatal crash involving high-speed biking on a Kolkata flyover within five days. Last Wednesday, a young man died in a similar accident on Maa flyover after being thrown nearly 200 metres off his motorcycle. Police say the frequency of such incidents underscores the dangers of over speeding and riding without protective gear.
In an unrelated incident that further jolted the city, two teenage boys were allegedly assaulted by a local real estate promoter after their ball landed inside a partially-constructed apartment building in the Regent Park area. The incident occurred Saturday afternoon in East Putiary, near a playground adjacent to the under-construction building. According to police and local residents, four boys entered the premises to retrieve the ball when the promoter, identified as Pranotosh Saha, confronted them.
He allegedly attacked two of the boys with a bamboo stick, injuring them on their arms and legs. “We were just climbing up to get the ball when he suddenly came out with a stick. Two of our friends ran back down, but he caught us and started beating us,” one of the victims said. The families of the injured teenagers filed a formal complaint with Regent Park police, leading to Saha’s arrest on charges of assault.
Both incidents have raised public concern over safety and law enforcement in the city — from reckless driving claiming young lives to the use of violence against minors in residential neighbourhoods.