HYDERABAD: Late night Friendship Day celebrations at a pub, followed by drunken driving turned tragic for four friends at Gachibowli late on Sunday, August 1, 2021. In the ghastly accident that followed one of them was killed and another critically injured while the other two, including the driver, escaped with minor injuries.
According to police, the accident occurred when the car they were travelling in crashed into the boulders on the roadside while the four friends were returning home from the pub. While 23-year-old D Ashritha, who was pursuing MTech in Canada and returned to city for a vocation, died on the spot, her friend Tharuni is battling for life at a local hospital. Abhishek, who was at the wheel, and Sai Prakash received minor injuries. According to Gachibowli Inspector G Suresh, Abhishek who was driving the vehicle in a drunken condition was booked under Section 304 II of the IPC — culpable homicide not amounting to murder and take into custody.
Ashritha, Taruni and Sai Prakash became friends while studying at a reputed institute in Shankarpally. Abhishek was their junior at college. While Ashritha went to Canada for higher studies, Taruni and Sai Prakash started working in the city. Around 20 days ago, Ashritha came home for vacation. To celebrate the International Friendship Day, they gathered at SNORT Pub at Kondapur under Gachibowli police limits at around 10 pm on Sunday. After consuming alcohol and having dinner, they left the pub around 11 pm. On the way home, Abhishek lost control and crashed the car into the boulders.
As the vehicle toppled a couple of times before landing on the ground, the rear right door opened and Ashritha was flung out of the vehicle. While she died on the spot, Taruni, who was sitting in the rear left side, received severe injuries. Meanwhile, police also registered a case against the pub management for violating prohibitory orders and serving alcohol. It may be mentioned that in view of Bonalu, liquor supply was prohibited and pubs closed on Sunday.