Two friends killed, one injured as truck hits bike on Jaipur express highway

JAIPUR: Two friends returning from a temple in Sikar were killed after a truck mowed them down on express highway in the city on Friday early morning. Their third friend is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Deepak (21) and Payal (14) were killed on the spot after the truck ploughed into their bike. Their friend Sumit (20) was critically injured in the accident.According to the accident police station (West), the incident took place at 6.30am.
“Deepak, Sumit and Payal were friends and lived in Mansarovar area. They along with three other friends, Varshan, Indra and Payal’s sister Manisha, made a late night plan to visit Khatushyam temple in Sikar. Six of them left for Sikar in two bikes at 12.15 am on Thursday night,” said Deepak’s friend Mahesh while talking to TOI.
While Sumit, Deepak and Payal were riding on one bike, Varshan, Indra and Manisha were on a different bike trailing them. “I had cautioned her not to leave for Sikar late in night. But she had been going to the temple with her friends for a very long time, as he insisted on going to the temple, I conceded,” said Payal’s father Kishan Pamnani.
The six of them reached the temple at 3.30 am on Thursday, only to find themselves jostling with a huge crowd of devotees lining up for early morning darshan. “There was a swarm of devotes. So, we decided to return to the city. A little ahead of Khrini Phatak on express highway, Sumit, Payal and Deepak speed away. We were trailing them. At one spot on the highway, we saw people gathered around a fallen bike, there we found all three of them lying unconscious,” said Manisha.
An ambulance was called to the spot which rushed the trio to the hospital. “The doctors declared Deepak and Payal brought dead which means they were killed on the spot. Sumit was admitted into the trauma ward and he is currently undergoing treatment,” a police official said.
Payal had recently appeared for her Class X examination, while Deepak worked as an artist who performed religious functions and bhajans. “He ran a small-time event management firm,” said his friend Mahesh, adding that Deepak was a very devotional and spiritual in his personal life.
“Payal, Deepak, Sumit and others were part of troupe that performed at religious functions. All six of them used to regularly visit temples and attended several events together,” said Payal’s father Kishan while talking to TOI.