Three people, including two Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and a criminal they were escorting, were killed on National Highway-48 in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district on Friday, 15 May, after a speeding truck rammed their motorcycle near the Mandal Chowk flyover. The crash, which occurred in the early hours between 5:00 am and 5:30 am IST, reduced the motorcycle to an unrecognisable wreck and triggered prolonged traffic disruption on the busy Jaipur-Udaipur highway stretch.

Who Was Killed

The deceased GRP personnel have been identified as Head Constable Lekhraj Bagri (55), a resident of Kishangarh, and Constable Ravindra Kumar Jat (48), both posted at the Bhilwara outpost of the Chittorgarh Government Railway Police. The third victim, Chhotu Bhil (40), was an accused in a motorcycle theft case who was being transported by the officers at the time of the collision. According to police sources, both constables died instantly at the scene; doctors at Mandal Sub-District Hospital declared them dead on arrival. Chhotu Bhil, critically injured, was referred to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Bhilwara for further treatment but succumbed to his injuries there.

How the Accident Happened

According to police sources, the two GRP officers were transporting the accused from Mandal to Bhilwara on a motorcycle, reportedly because no official police vehicle was available at the time. As the motorcycle reached the Mandal Chowk flyover on NH-48, a truck approaching from behind struck the vehicle with severe force. The impact was so intense that the motorcycle was crushed beyond recognition. Locals at the scene immediately alerted police and emergency services, and an 108 ambulance team responded to rush the injured to hospital.

Response and Traffic Disruption

Trainee IPS officer Ayush Kumar Kshatriya and the Mandal police team arrived at the site after being informed of the incident. Cranes were deployed to remove the mangled vehicles from the highway. The accident caused traffic to back up on NH-48 for nearly half an hour before normal movement was restored. The bodies of the two GRP personnel have been kept in the mortuary of Mandal Hospital, and the families of all three deceased have been notified.

Accountability Questions Over Vehicle Availability

The incident has raised pointed questions about operational protocols within the GRP. The fact that two uniformed officers were compelled, reportedly due to the unavailability of an official vehicle, to transport a criminal suspect on a two-wheeler in the pre-dawn hours on a national highway is drawing scrutiny. This is not an isolated concern — police departments across India have repeatedly flagged resource shortfalls that force personnel into unsafe field conditions. The deaths have sent shockwaves through the police departments in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh, with colleagues mourning the loss of the two officers who died in the line of duty.