Liton Ershad, a secretary general at road safety group Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA), suffered a major road crash on Thursday morning when a speeding leguna hit him while he was crossing a road.

The incident happened at Amtola intersection in the Shahjahanpur area in the capital around 10am.

He fell down at a distance as he was struck aside by the leguna. Locals and pedestrians rushed him to a nearby hospital to avail first aid treatment.

Later he was taken to a more equipped private hospital, where the doctors administered six stiches on his head, and placed him under day-long observation.

NISCHA leaders demanded a swift and impartial investigation into the incident to determine whether “some foul work” was at play to intimidate the group against continuing their protests targeting erratic transport sector stakeholders.

In a statement, the leadership stated they have been for long been calling for a ban on the illegal and erratic movement of legunas and battery-powered rickshaws. They have been staging protests in this regard, raising public awareness and periodically placing demands with state authorities.

The authorities have also taken certain measures in response to the campaign. This could have prompted some “vested parties” to seek “intimidation tactics,” the group suspected calling for a netural investigation into Thursday’s road crash.