3 women farm protesters from Punjab killed as truck hits them in Bahadurgarh

Three women protesters from Mansa district of Punjab were killed and two others were injured when a speeding truck ran over them on the road divider near the Jhajjar flyover in neighbouring Haryana's Bahadurgarh district early on Thursday.

A Jhajjar police spokesman said that the incident took place at 6.30am when the women protesting against the three farm laws were waiting for an autorickshaw to reach the Bahadurgarh railway station to board a train for Punjab.

Farmers have been protesting against the Centre's three farm laws and camping at Tikri border on the outskirts of Bahadurgarh for the past 11 months.

The three women who died have been identified as Chinder Kaur, 60, Amarjeet Kaur, 58, and Gurmail Kaur, 60, all residents of Mansa district.

One of the two women injured has been referred from Bahadurgarh's civil hospital to Rohtak's Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), where her condition is stated to be critical.

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the dead and free treatment of the injured.

"Nothing can compensate for the lives lost. The tragedy has caused irreparable loss to the families concerned of Punjab. However, taking recourse to financial relief, my government announces Rs. 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the dead and free treatment for the injured," Channi tweeted.