Three persons, including a disabled person were injured when a speeding police patrol van hit them after driver lost control over the vehicle in the RDC area of the district today, police said.
But instead of taking injured to hospital, all five police personnel sitting in the van allegedly run away from the spot, prompting locals to stage protest.
The van was patrolling near RDC area around 2 PM when its driver lost control and hit a physically handicapped person, who was sitting in his wheelchair and then rammed into a tea stall on the roadside, injuring two others, police sources said.
"After hitting the victims, all police personnel sitting in the 'Mobile Ghatak van' immediately run away from the spot with the vehicle, leaving them in a pool of blood. They didn't bother to get off the car and take them to nearby hospital for providing them with medical treatment," said Suresh, an eyewitness said.
After the incident, locals gathered at the spot and called up the nearby police, which later rushed the spot and took them to nearby hospital where their conditions is stated to be out of danger.
Later, some locals staged protest at the spot and raised slogans against police officials.
Police said that the victims have been identified as Ramprakash Tiwari, a physically-handicapped person and a resident of Meerut Road, second as tea stall owner Ratan Lal, a resident of Subash Nagar while the third is yet to be identified.
"In 'Ghatak Mobile Van', there were five police personnel, including driver. We have got to know that driver had allowed head-constable to drive the vehicle when the accident took place. Police is investigating and accused would be punished soon," said a senior police officer.
To check the rising incidents of thefts and loot in commercial areas, four months back, Ghaziabad police had introduced a patrolling vehicle, named "Ghatak Mobile van" with an aim to patrol in commercial areas of the district.
