Veteran journalist Biman Bihari Dhar, grandson killed in Tripura road accident

Agartala, Oct 22 (PTI) Veteran journalist and noted writer Biman Bihari Dhar and his 27-year-old grandson Rahul Pal were killed in a head-on collision between their car and a passenger bus in Tripura's Gomati district on Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred in the Bagma area when the duo was travelling towards the Matabari temple in Udaipur, Gomati District Superintendent of Police Arniban Das said.

Dhar, 84, died at the spot, while Pal sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Gomati District Hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, the police officer said.

The incident has triggered grief across Tripura's media, literary and social circles, with journalists, writers and intellectuals mourning the death of Dhar, who was a respected figure in the state's journalistic and literary community.

Family sources said Pal had recently secured a job with the Indian Oil Corporation. He was accompanying his grandfather to Matabari to offer prayers and mark the achievement when the accident occurred.

The deaths of two members of the same family in the collision have left their relatives and well-wishers in mourning.

Dhar had contributed to journalism and literature in Tripura over several decades. He was known among colleagues and readers for his association with the state's media and literary activities.

Members of the journalistic and literary fraternity expressed condolences over his death, recalling his contributions and conveying sympathy to the bereaved family. His demise has been mourned as a loss to Tripura's media and cultural circles.

News of the accident spread across the state, prompting expressions of grief from journalists, writers and other sections of society. The incident has also brought attention to the devastating consequences of road accidents involving passenger vehicles.

Police said further details about the circumstances leading to the collision were awaited. The exact cause of the accident had not been established immediately.

The fatal crash has left the family grappling with the loss of two generations in a single incident. What began as a journey to the revered temple ended in tragedy, claiming the life of a veteran journalist and cutting short the future of a young man who had recently secured employment.

Further information regarding the collision and the ongoing police inquiry was awaited.