Banker's Speeding Car Kills Two in Apartment Complex

CHENNAI: In a freak incident, a bank manager’s poor driving skills proved fatal for two persons after the speeding vehicle rammed into a group of people on the driveway of an apartment complex in Kottivakkam on the East Coast Road. The driver of the car, Venkatesan, manager of Valmiki Nagar branch of Bank of Maharashtra, has been arrested by the Tiruvanmiyur police and remanded in judicial custody.

The mishap occurred around 5.55 pm on Tuesday when Vasudevan, secretary of the residents welfare association, was having a casual discussion with Abdul Rahim, the new security contractor, and four other residents. Venkatesan had reportedly told investigators that brake failure was the reason for the accident.

A bank manager’s poor driving skills proved fatal for two persons after the speeding vehicle rammed into a group talking on the driveway of an apartment complex in Kottivakkam on East Coast Road on Tuesday evening.

Of the five injured in the freak accident, two had died. One of the victims, Abdul Rahim (44), was dragged for a distance of 50 metres and thrown off after the vehicle came to a halt hitting the gate of Sri Subhodhaya apartments.

The driver of the car, Venkatesan, manager of Valmiki nagar branch of Bank of Maharashtra, also housed in the same apartment complex, was arrested by the Thiruvanmyur police and remanded in judicial custody. The deceased were identified as Abdul Rahim, head of a security services company, which had recently taken over the security contract, and a resident, NK Pyare Lal (62). Three others, S Vasudevan (63), Brindeshwar and Nalini Srinivasan (60) suffered grievous injuries.

The mishap occurred around 5.55 pm on Tuesday when Vasudevan, secretary of the residents welfare association, was having a casual discussion with Rahim and four other residents.

Venkatesh was starting home after his day’s work. “It all happened in a flash. Two seconds and two persons had died,” said Mukesh, owner of Ritz fashions, located on the basement of the apartment complex. CCTV grabs from Mukesh’s store had captured the tragic mishap showing Venkatesh’s red hatchback driving at breakneck speed for a driveway, taking the group by surprise. “Luckily, at that time, no vehicle was parked on either side like they usually are. Otherwise, those who got out of the way and escaped with injuries would have had nowhere to go,” a resident requesting anonymity told Express.

All the injured were taken to a private hospital right opposite the apartment complex, but had to be moved to another hospital as doctors were not immediately available. Abdul Rahim and Pyare Lal succumbed to their injuries early Wednesday. The security guard suffered grievous injuries on one of his legs while Vasudevan is also critically injured, police said.

Before police could arrest the bank manager, he was subjected to mob justice. A case under section 304 (a) (causing death due to negligence) was registered against Venkatesh. He had reportedly told investigators that brake failure was the reason for the accident. “We will be sending the vehicle to the RTO for brake inspection. However, our investigations reveal that the man had applied the accelerator instead of brakes in panic. Investigations revealed that he had been learning to drive very recently,” a senior police officer said.