In Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, a young man, Naresh Kumar Rathiya, died under mysterious circumstances while escorting two deceased individuals in an ambulance, triggering widespread outrage among villagers. The incident occurred on the night of October 2, when two men from Khamhar village, Ashish Rathiya and Saroj Bhoi, died in a motorcycle accident after colliding with a stationary truck around 2 a.m.
An ambulance from the Sanjeevani 108 service transported the bodies to Dharamjaigarh Hospital, with Naresh accompanying them as an attendant. However, upon reaching the hospital, ambulance staff discovered Naresh was missing. Approximately 20–25 minutes later, a Dial 112 patrol team found him injured near Bhanwarkhol village along the main road. He was taken to the hospital but succumbed during treatment. The circumstances of how he left the ambulance remain unclear, raising suspicions among the villagers.
Angered by the incident, villagers staged a protest at Dharamjaigarh police station on Wednesday morning, bringing Naresh’s body on tractors and placing it on the road while raising slogans against the authorities. They accused police of negligence and demanded a thorough investigation into whether Naresh accidentally fell from the ambulance, was forced out, or became a victim of foul play. The protesters specifically called for statements from both the ambulance and Dial 112 teams to ascertain accountability.
The police station in charge clarified that ambulance doors can be opened from both inside and outside and assured villagers that a fair investigation would determine the exact circumstances of Naresh’s death. Following this assurance, the protest dispersed, but the case has ignited regional concern, with locals demanding prompt justice and transparency regarding the troubling sequence of events.
