A day after a speeding SUV rammed into an autorickshaw killing one man and injuring two, the Bangalore police on Monday arrested a 20-year-old youth, who was allegedly driving the car in an inebriated state.
The accused, Rajesh L Reddy, is the son of Lokesh Reddy, a city-based realtor. They are residents of Indiranagar.
Rajesh, a BBM student, told the police that on Sunday night he and his driver had gone to a restaurant on MG Road to buy food for his mother’s birthday party. When they left home, the driver was behind the wheel, but Rajesh insisted on taking over the wheel. On their way, the speeding SUV rammed into an autorickshaw near Ulsoor.
A senior police officer said, “We found liquor bottles in the SUV and during interrogation, Rajesh admitted to being drunk. We filed a drunken driving case and handed it over to the Law and Order Police, after which Rajesh was sent for a medical test.
“After the accident, the driver and Rajesh abandoned the SUV and fled in an auto. On Monday morning, Lokesh came to the police station and told us about the accident. Initially, he claimed that one of his drivers was behind the wheel, but later he admitted that his son caused the accident and asked him to come the station. Rajesh claimed that the auto took a sudden turn and this led to the collision,” the police added.
The temporary registration number on the SUV helped the police trace its owner. The car, which was registered in Rajesh’s mother Prema’s name, was gifted to her for her birthday. The police said the car was bought just eight days ago from a showroom on Hosur Road.
While Deepak, a pub employee, was killed on the spot, his relative Karthik (25) and Unis Ali, the auto driver, were injured and are being treated in Bowring Hospital. Their condition is stable.