Never bring sorrow, O giver of joy; you who have gifted me a life filled with love…” — As he shared this poignant song on social media for his life partner on the auspicious evening of Karwa Chauth, Vinay Kumar, alias Bablu Vishwas (50), a well-known businessman from Purnia, could never have imagined that this would be his final message.
His wife, having observed a *nirjala* fast (a fast without water) for her husband’s long life, was awaiting the sighting of the moon and his return home; but fate had other plans. Just an hour after he made this post on Facebook, his speeding Fortuner SUV crashed through the bridge railing and plunged into the deep waters of the Saura River, resulting in his tragic death. This heart-wrenching accident turned the joy of the Karwa Chauth festival into cries of anguish and mourning. Bablu Vishwas was the owner of a prominent Renault car showroom in the city and was highly regarded in both political and social circles.
A loving post at 6:00 PM; a life extinguished by 7:00 PM
Until just an hour before the accident, Bablu Vishwas had been quite active on social media. Thursday marked the significant festival of Karwa Chauth. Around 6:00 PM, he posted a beautiful photograph and a reel on Facebook featuring his wife. The lyrics of the song playing in the background were: “Never bring sorrow, O giver of joy…” Just as his acquaintances and friends were responding to the post with greetings, the grim news from the Saura River arrived at 7:00 PM, leaving everyone in shock. It was hard for anyone to believe that the man who had appeared with a smiling face just an hour earlier was no longer in this world.
Returning home from his ancestral village; the accident occurred at Kaptan Bridge
According to the sequence of events, the businessman, Bablu Vishwas, had visited his ancestral village, Kochaili, in the Dagrua block. In the evening, he was… He was driving his Fortuner back to his residence in Prabhat Colony.
As the vehicle reached Kaptan Pul (bridge) in the Line Bazar area of the city, it suddenly went out of control. The speeding Fortuner crashed through the bridge’s sturdy iron and concrete railing and plunged directly into the Saura River below. The impact caused a loud explosion, sending a massive spray of water into the air. Divers recovered the vehicle.
Following the accident, a large crowd of local residents from the vicinity and the Line Bazar area gathered at the scene. Upon receiving the information, the police administration, the SDPO, and a team of divers arrived. After a strenuous effort, Bablu Biswas was recovered from the Fortuner, which had submerged in the deep waters of the river.
Declared dead at the hospital.
He was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Purnia, where doctors in the emergency ward examined him and declared him dead. DSP Abhinav Parashar confirmed that there was only one person in the vehicle, who was found to be dead upon arrival at the hospital. Former MP Santosh Kushwaha reached GMCH.
The deceased, Bablu Biswas, was very close to former MP Santosh Kushwaha. Upon learning of the incident, the former MP went straight to the GMCH to console the grieving family. Visibly emotional, the former MP said, “Bablu was like a member of my own family. His untimely passing is an irreparable loss to me and to the entire community.”
A wave of grief.
This tragic accident has taken away the family’s pillar of support. Bablu Biswas is survived by his wife and two young, inconsolable children. This painful incident, which occurred on the night of Karwa Chauth, has cast a deep shadow of grief over the entire city of Purnia and its business community.
