Lucknow: Three friends, including two teenagers, were killed after a speeding unidentified vehicle hit their motorcycle as they returned home from a Durga Puja pandal in Uttar Pradesh ’s Siddharthnagar district early Wednesday, police said. The driver fled immediately after the collision.
The crash occurred near Bayara crossing under the Bhawaniganj police station area, around 700 metres from the victims’ village, Chaura Bangawa. The deceased were identified as Vishal (17), Mukesh Agrahari (16) and Indrajeet Gautam (20).
Bhawaniganj station house officer Vijay Shankar Singh said police received information while personnel were on night patrol and a team was dispatched to the location to initiate proceedings. Police said efforts are underway to identify the vehicle and trace the driver. Police took custody of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examination.
Vishal and Mukesh studied at Rafi Memorial Inter College, with Vishal enrolled in Class 8.
The families of all three are economically disadvantaged, with their fathers working as labourers, relatives said. The vehicle that struck them was said to be coming from the Bharariya side. Two of the victims were students. Indrajeet worked as a daily-wage construction labourer to support his family.
Family members said the trio had visited a Durga Puja pandal in a neighbouring village on Tuesday night, attended the rituals, and ate prasad before leaving for home on the same motorcycle.