Hisar, June 23: A confrontation over a toll fee waiver escalated into a fatal hit-and-run on Monday night at the Baddo-Patti toll plaza near Barwala town. The manager of the toll facility on the Hisar-Chandigarh highway died after being struck and run over by a Scorpio vehicle following a dispute over a Rs 130 transaction.
The altercation began when a group of youths from a neighboring village requested an exemption from the standard highway fee. While the occupants presented local identification cards to justify the waiver, the toll authorities requested additional documentation to verify the vehicle’s registration, sparking an immediate argument.
As the confrontation intensified, the occupants of the Scorpio abruptly accelerated away from the booth. The vehicle struck the manager, causing him to collapse onto the roadway, before the driver intentionally drove over him and fled the scene.
Barwala police station SHO Dalbir Singh Punia rushed to the spot and started investigation after registering a case in this regard. Local authorities also recovered a pistol from the immediate vicinity of the incident, though confusion prevails whether any shot was fired.
A law enforcement source affirmed, “The toll plaza manager had asked the youths, who hail from a nearby village, to show a local ID for waiving the fee. They said after the youths showed them their IDs, the manager asked for the vehicle registration certificate, which led to an argument.”
