7 kanwarias lose lives in accidents; and in the aftermath

Gurgaon/Bhadohi, Aug 7 (UNI) Kanwarias resorted to protests, large-scale violence and arson and blocked the Delhi-Jaipur Highway as five of them were crushed to death by speeding vehicles in two separate incidents in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh today.

Kanwariyas, Shiv devotees who undertake a pilgrimage during the ongoing holy month of 'shrawan', blocked traffic on Delhi-Jaipur Highway and set afire vehicles after two pilgrims were run over and killed and three injured by a truck near Manesar in Haryana this morning.

The 'Kanwariyas' torched the truck, which mowed down the pilgrims, and also the vehicles of Gurgaon Additional Police Commissioner (South) Kailash Chandra and SHO Bhan Singh.

They smashed several other vehicles and broke the window panes of Haryana Roadways buses.

A group of five pilgrims was on way to its village near Alwar, when it was hit by the truck near Manesar. Two of the pilgrims died on the spot while the other three were injured seriously.

Incensed over the incident, angry 'Kanwariyas' blocked the traffic on the highway for more than four hours and indulged in arson.

Police later resorted to a lathicharge to bring the situation under control and opened the highway.

The injured were taken to hospital which referred them to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, where their condition was stated to be critical.

Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon Rakesh Gupta and Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mahender Lal have reached the spot and were trying to pacify the agitated 'Kanwariyas'.

The situation was still stated to be tense there.

In another incident of violence that followed the mowing down of three kanwarias in Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, a 'kanwaria' was killed, while two others suffered bullet wounds as police resorted to firing and lathicharge to control a mob protesting the deaths.

The trio, en route from Allahabad to Varanasi, were crushed under the wheels of the vehicle on the national highway, police said.

Irked over the incident, a mob later vandalised a police station, besides torching police jeeps. Almost 12 policemen were also wounded after the agitators resorted to stone pelting.

UNI