Tractor-trolley accident in MP: Driver suspected to be under influence of alcohol, say police

Rajgarh: The driver of a tractor-trolley, which overturned leaving 13 members of a marriage party dead in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district, was apparently under the influence of alcohol, police said on Monday.

A woman survivor claimed the vehicle driver consumed liquor before they left from Rajasthan and also en-route on Sunday evening.

The driver was a relative of the victims, the police said, adding a case has been registered against him on the charge of culpable homicide.

Thirteen persons, including five women and as many kids, were killed and 20 others injured after their tractor-trolley overturned on Sunday night in Piplodi area here, an official said.

The victims, members of a marriage party, were on way to Kumalapur village here from Motipura area in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district in Rajasthan when the accident took place in Pipoldi, 32 km from the Rajgarh district headquarters and about 800s metres from the Rajasthan border.

Of the injured, 16 were admitted to the district hospital while four were rushed to Bhopal for advanced care, Rajgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Aditya Mishra told PTI over phone on Monday.

“The toll is unlikely to go up. The injured persons are out of danger”, he said from the district hospital.

The official said they were notified about the accident at around 9.30 pm on Sunday.

Seven ambulances were rushed to the spot, he said.

According to members of the marriage party, the man behind the wheels, who fled from the scene, might have been drunk, the official said.

Mishra said they have registered a case against the driver and the owner of the tractor-trolley on the charge of culpable homicide, an “act akin to murder”, he said.

“We will make sure justice is served. We won’t treat this as an act of rash and negligent driving”, he said.

According to some victims, one Dipak was driving the tractor.

Survivor Mamta, the groom’s sister in-law, claimed the man who was driving the tractor-trolley was drunk.

“Before we set off from Rajasthan at around 5 pm, he consumed liquor”, she said.

The woman said she asked the man to consume alcohol after reaching the marriage venue, but he did not listen. He also consumed liquor on the way, she claimed.

SP Mishra said 30 to 35 persons were on the tractor-trolley which was led and followed some motorbikes of members of the marriage party.

The bridegroom, who was travelling on a motorbike, escaped unhurt, he said.

According to locals, the groom after seeing the bodies and victims crying at the accident spot, got unwell and was admitted to the district hospital.

Mishra said a probe was on into the incident and their priority was to provide proper treatment to the injured persons.