This story is from August 20, 2019

Kolkata: Scooterist skids on Bypass pothole, run over by bus

A treacherous stretch of potholes at Panchannagram on E M Bypass claimed a 35-year-old human resource manager’s life when he came under a bus after being thrown off his scooter, which skidded on the cratered surface, on Monday morning.
Kolkata: Scooterist skids on Bypass pothole, run over by bus
Image used for representational purpose
KOLKATA: A treacherous stretch of potholes at Panchannagram on E M Bypass claimed a 35-year-old human resource manager’s life when he came under a bus after being thrown off his scooter, which skidded on the cratered surface, on Monday morning.
Kazi Samim Raza, who wore a helmet, was conscious after the bus ran over the lower part of his body. He even managed to call a colleague and a relative — lying on the tarmac — before cops took him to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, about 7 km away, where he died 90 minutes later.

The last few days of incessant rain has peeled off the cover along large stretches of E M Bypass, giving motorists a pock-marked surface and a hellish ride on one of the city’s most-used roads. Senior police officers said they had repeatedly flagged the deteriorating conditions to KMDA. But a KMDA official blamed RVNL, now overseeing Metro work on the stretch: “The maximum damage on E M Bypass has occurred precisely at places where Metro construction is done. We did a maintenance job only a month back. We have repeatedly urged RVNL officials to ensure that the damaged stretches are repaired.”
RVNL has ordered an inquiry. “Damage to roads, if any, is because of the viaduct construction. On E M Bypass, barring one near Parama, all viaduct construction is complete. I think it is wrong to blame RVNL for everything. We have urged KMDA to take all steps necessary to repair the surface and have said we will foot the bill. RVNL does not have the expertise to repair roads,” a senior officer told TOI.
Raza, an HR and admin manager with a popular eyewear chain, is survived by his homemaker wife and a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Doctors said Raza suffered severe internal injuries near the pelvis and in his internal organs and suspected his kidneys ruptured, hastening the death. A post-mortem examination on his body will be conducted on Tuesday morning, following which it will be handed over to his family.

Raza left his home in Hooghly’s Konnagar early on Monday morning for his office at the Kasba Industrial Estate near Ruby General Hospital. The accident occurred around 9.50 a.m.
People staying along the Panchannagram stretch say the portion, particularly between Ambedkar Setu and VIP Bazar, has turned bad. “Leave alone two-wheelers, even cars find it difficult to negotiate this stretch,” a witness to the accident said, pointing to the potholes near Sanjha Chulha restaurant where Raza fell to death. “I saw this person lose control over his scooter after hitting a pothole,” local tea seller Tapan Sanyal said.
Another witness, Samir Bera, said he saw the man trying to get up. “But flesh had come off parts of his body and he fell. He still managed to take out his phone and made a call as we carried him to the side of the road and calle cops,” he added.
A Kolkata Police ambulance took Raza to CNMC Hospital. “He was in his senses. He even responded to doctors’ questions. We called his wife from the hospital and asked her to come down. But he passed out some time later,” a Tiljala Police Station official said. The bus that ran over Raza was seized and its driver arrested, he added.
Colleagues and friends joined the family at the hospital as they heard of Raza’s death. “He was a bright student and a complete family man. I cannot believe he died like this. I also cannot understand why cops had to take him to a hospital 7 km away when there were so many good private hospitals within a short distance from the accident spot,” a relative said.
Raza completed his MBA from Calcutta University in 2008 and worked at a number of private firms before joining the eyewear chain in December 2017. “He was exceptional at work and was confident even while taking tough decisions under tricky circumstances,” Priyanka Dutta, a former colleague, remembered.
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About the Author
Tamaghna Banerjee

Tamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviation, human rights and politics. He has a keen interest in human interest and rural reporting. He has done his postgraduation in journalism and mass communication. He has a total of 14 years in journalism.

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