Bhopal: Two individuals employed at a toll plaza in Madhya Pradesh tragically lost their lives after falling into a well during a chaotic incident reportedly stemming from a dispute over toll taxes and involving masked assailants. The deceased, identified as Srinivas Parihar from Agra and Shivaji Kandele from Nagpur, were discovered in the well the previous day.
According to authorities, the incident occurred at approximately 10 pm on Tuesday. Disturbing footage captured by CCTV cameras at the Dagrai toll plaza on National Highway – 44 depicts masked individuals arriving on four motorcycles near the toll booths. Subsequently, they forcefully entered some of the booths, causing damage to property, assaulting toll plaza personnel, and attempting to forcibly remove them.
In an attempt to escape the assailants, the staff fled into a nearby field upon hearing gunshots fired into the air. Tragically, amidst the chaos, Parihar and Kandele accidentally fell into an uncovered well situated behind the toll office, leading to their drowning.
The toll plaza’s contractual arrangement between Jhansi and Gwalior underwent a change on April 1, transitioning to a new contractor. Allegedly, certain locals had prior arrangements with the previous contractor, allowing their vehicles to pass through without payment. However, the new contractor refused to uphold such agreements, leading to tensions. Reports suggest that Tuesday night’s attack was orchestrated to intimidate the new contractor.
Law enforcement officials have initiated an investigation into the matter, registering a case against unidentified individuals.
Toll taxes serve as charges imposed on vehicle owners for utilizing specific expressways, tunnels, bridges, etc., with the collected amount allocated towards repair and maintenance. The fee structure varies based on the vehicle’s size.
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