A sub-inspector died after being crushed between two buses while clearing a traffic jam at Bharwain Chowk on National Highway 503 in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on Saturday night, police said. Rajesh Kumar Dhiman, posted at Chintpurni police station, was managing traffic when the two buses attempted to pass each other at a narrow bend.
Dhiman had gone to the spot near the forest department office after receiving information about the congestion. He was accompanied by head constable Mukesh Kumar and was guiding the buses travelling towards Mubarikpur and Dehra when he became trapped between them, according to police.
The officer sustained critical injuries in the incident and was taken to Civil Hospital, Chintpurni, where he received initial treatment. Police said Dhiman died before he could be shifted to Tanda Medical College for further treatment.
The incident took place at a section of NH-503 where the road narrows into a bend, creating difficulty for two buses trying to pass in opposite directions. The available account does not establish whether the traffic jam was caused by the road geometry, vehicle positioning or another factor. Police are examining CCTV footage to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.
A case has been registered against the drivers of both buses. The police investigation will examine how the vehicles moved through the bend while Dhiman was directing traffic and whether the footage establishes the sequence of events.
The case also brings attention to the risks faced by personnel who manage congestion directly on busy highways, particularly at constrained points where large vehicles have limited room to manoeuvre. In this incident, the officer was working to restore movement when the buses came into contact with him.
Dhiman’s body was sent to the regional hospital in Una for a postmortem. He was from Nagrota Surian in Kangra district, where his last rites will be performed. Police said the investigation would proceed with the examination of CCTV footage and the case registered against the two bus drivers.
