A 35-year-old man lost his life in Jalpaiguri after a police vehicle rammed him on NH27 on Sunday morning.

Locals residents staged a blockade, alleging apathy on the part of the driver and other occupants of the police vehicle.

Around 9.30am, Shyamal Roy, a resident of Fog Line, Mundabusty, a locality on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town, was on his way to Sirishtala of the town on his cycle to bring back his daughter from her private tuition.

He was standing beside NH27 with his bicycle in Subhashnagar, waiting for the traffic to halt so that he could cross the road.

Suddenly, an SUV bearing police’s sticker rammed into him, local sources said, causing the man to slump on the spot the road and groan in pain.

Bystanders rushed to help and took him to Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead.

Samaru Roy, who runs a tea stall off the highway, said he witnessed the accident.

“The man was standing on the side of the road with his cycle when the vehicle suddenly hit him. Instead of stopping and helping the person, who had collapsed on the road, the driver sped away from the spot with the vehicle. There were some other people inside the vehicle too,” said Samaru.

As the news of the death spread, agitated residents blocked the highway.

“How can the police personnel be so apathetic? Chief minister Mamata Banerjee regularly asks the police to act in a humanitarian way but the police vehicle didn’t bother to stop and rush the man to the hospital,” said Dulal Roy, another resident.

Traffic halted on the highway because of the blockade. Police officers from Kotwali reached the spot and spoke to protesters. Senior officers such as Samir Pal, deputy superintendent of police (headquarters), also assured all possible help to the bereaved family.

“It was a police vehicle. We are taking appropriate steps against the driver and a case will be registered. The victim’s family has been called into our office tomorrow (Monday). Necessary initiatives would be taken so that the family gets compensation,” said Pal.

Following his assurance, the blockade was withdrawn after an hour.

Shyamal, sources said, was a daily-rated worker by occupation, who is survived by his father, wife and two daughters.

“He was the sole earning member of our family. I would urge senior police officers to see to it that our family survives after his sudden death,” said bereaved father Ramesh Roy.