A class 9 student was killed after being struck by an excavator in South Kolkata's Bansdroni area on Wednesday morning, police said.
The boy was en route to his tuition classes when the incident occurred near Dinesh Nagar auto stand.
Locals rushed him to Bangur Hospital in Tollygunge, but he was declared dead upon arrival. The driver of the excavator fled the scene, and police are actively working to locate him.
Following the incident, residents protested, alleging that the poor condition of the road-long overdue for repairs-contributed to the tragedy. They also criticised police for alleged delayed response.
Some protesters vandalised the excavator involved in the incident and confronted a senior police officer, demanding the presence of the local councillor and MLA. They labeled the boy's death a "state-sponsored murder," citing the deteriorating road conditions in the area.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation Ward 113 councillor Anita Kar Majumder said road repair work was underway following an underground drainage project.
Tensions escalated when an argument broke out between police and locals, who had surrounded senior officials, demanding action from their elected representatives.
Some residents alleged that members of the Trinamool Congress assaulted protesters, and one police officer was reported to have pushed a woman, causing her to fall unconscious, locals claimed.
A senior police officer confirmed that the boy was struck by the excavator and that the driver was at large. "We will investigate the matter and the circumstances surrounding the protests," the official said.
