ASANSOL: A truck driver is battling for his life at Asansol District Headquarters Hospital after extortionists hurled a petrol bomb at him before fleeing with Rs 3,500 cash here on Monday.

Amaresh Saha (40) was driving a sand-filled truck when some goons tried to stop him to extort money. When he did not stop, they hurled petrol bomb at him. Saha suffered serious burn injuries.

The extortionists then looted Rs 3,500 cash which was found in the driver’s cabin and fled away. In his statement to Asansol South police , the injured truck driver said that the miscreants hurled bombs at him which hit the windscreen of the truck and blasted leading to the fire.

The driver’s helper jumped out of the vehicle to save his life. Hearing the screams of the severely-burnt driver, local people came out of their home and doused the flames. They rushed Saha to Asansol District Headquarters Hospital. Hospital sources said that the driver had suffered more than 60% burn injuries mostly in the upper portion of the body, including on his face, chest and hands. His condition is said to be very critical.

DC (headquarters) of Asansol-Durgapur Police Comissionerate Arindam Dutta Choudhury told TOI that Asansol South police had started a probe. However, nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident so far. “I have never heard such an incident in our state before and it is high time that the government is dismissed. There is no law and order in Asansol at present,” said BJP leader Nirmal Karmakar .

