Lucknow: A festive reunion of childhood friends from Deoria district ended in tragedy late Monday when four youths were killed and three injured in a road accident in Kushinagar district. The group was returning after visiting a Dussehra fair when their car met with an accident near a bridge under Kasya police station limits around 11:30 pm.Police identified the deceased as Nitesh Prasad (22) and Pradeep Prasad (23) of Mathiya Ratti village, Aditya alias Ankur Kanaujia (20) of Garhrampur village, and Sanjeev Sharma (21) of Konhwalhiya Bharat Rai village. Family members said the friends, who had grown up together and studied in the same schools, had planned the outing as part of Dussehra celebrations.According to relatives, eight youths were travelling in a Mahindra Verito car owned by Nitesh. The collision proved fatal for four occupants and left three others injured. One injured youth, Ankit Harshdev Prasad, remains critical and is being treated in the ICU of a private hospital in Gorakhpur. Two others are undergoing treatment at Padrauna district hospital, officials said.The deaths have sent shockwaves through four villages, with families describing the loss as especially painful because two of the victims had recently returned home after working outside the state and abroad. Ankur, the only son of Pappu Kanaujia and Sarita Devi, had come back from Delhi about a week ago, where he held a private-sector job. Sanjeev had returned from Dubai nearly a month ago; his father Subhash Sharma is a tailor and his elder brother lives in Mumbai.Nitesh was a third-year BA student at a college in Sonaria, while Pradeep worked as a wedding videographer. Police said the cause of the accident is under investigation.On Tuesday evening, the last rites of the four youths were performed amid grief-stricken scenes. Nitesh and Pradeep were cremated at Sonhula Ramnagar Ghat. Transport minister Dayashankar Singh and local leaders visited bereaved families to offer condolences.
