Truck driver mows down man over sexual harassment protest

In a shocking incident, a truck driver mowed down a man in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district, about 150 kilometres from here, allegedly after the latter protested ''obscene' gesture toward his wife by the former.
 
According to the police sources here, the incident occurred near a toll plaza on the national highway on Sunday.
 
Sources said that the victim, who was riding a motorbike, was returning home after visiting his relatives with his wife when the truck driver allegedly made an ''obscene gesture'' toward the woman as he overtook him.
 
The victim, identified as Ajit Kumar Tripathi, then chased the truck, which came to a halt at the toll plaza at Barauri in the district a little later.
 
Tripathi approached the driver and asked him to get down from the truck. He also reported the matter to the employees of the toll plaza company but the latter allowed the truck to move ahead.
 
Tripathi again gave it a chase and overtook the truck but the truck driver, instead of stopping the vehicle, hit the couple from behind and fled from there, sources said. Tripathi died on the spot but the wife survived.
 
An irate mob later blocked the highway in protest against the incident as a result of which movement of traffic came to a complete halt. Police personnel, who rushed to the spot on getting the information, had a tough time in persuading the mob to lift the blockade.
 
A case was registered in this connection and efforts were on to trace the truck, sources said.