BENGALURU: With checks on overspeeding, reckless driving and drink-driving having stopped ever since the pandemic set in, there has been a rise in the number of accidents and crashes. According to Bengaluru Traffic Police, jolly riders are taking advantage of the Covid situation, and overspeeding on highways and empty roads, especially at night.
A senior police officer told TNIE, “We have stopped drink-drive checks due to Covid restrictions and also concern that our staff may get infected during checks. Thus, people violate night curfew norms and venture out on to empty roads and indulge in reckless driving. This is leading to road accidents, often fatal ones, putting pedestrians and other commuters at risk.”
Ashoknagar traffic police staff said: “We usually stop vehicles to check the condition of drivers after noticing their driving speed. We warn them before allowing the vehicle to proceed. It is not the duty of the police to tell them not to overspeed, parents have to educate their children on how to drive safely.”
Srinivas Raju, a resident of Ashoknagar, said he has noticed high-end cars being driven at high speed on Lavelle Road, MG Road and Residency Road at midnight. Police should collect CCTV footage of those vehicles and take legal action. These drivers are putting lives at risk and police should put up barricades on these roads at night, Raju said.
Praveen Rao, a resident of Koramangala, said 80-Ft Road is famous for speeding, and many of those who visit pubs in this area are involved in drunk driving. Police should identify such vehicles and seize them immediately, he said.
The 7 victims on fatal ride
Karuna Sagar had completed his graduation and was running an industry on Hosur Road. He had a liking for high-end cars and often went on joy rides with his friends.
Bindu, who was an MSc graduate, was living separately at Murugeshapalya as she wanted privacy, though her parents too stay in the city.
Ishita Biswas, who was from Maharahstra, was an employee of a private firm. She stayed at a PG in Koramangala 5th block. She had come to the city four years ago.
Dhanusha M, from Kerala, was a dentist. She stayed at a PG with Biswas.
Akshay Goyal, who hailed from Malappuram in Kerala, worked as a senior sales associate and stayed at a PG in Koramangala 5th Block.
Utsav hailed from Rohtak in Haryana and was an auditor. He too stayed at a PG in Koramangala 5th Block.
Rohith hailed from Hubballi and worked as a business development officer. He stayed at a PG in Koramangala.
ON A HIGH IN THE FAST LANE
Nov 2015: A 36-year-old drunk techie Baljit Singh mowed down two pedestrians in his high-end car on Sarjapur Main Road. Mala (42), a homemaker, and Chinnapaiappa (48) were killed on the spot. The accused had gone to a restaurant with friends and was returning after midnight.
June 2013: Rajesh Reddy, son of a realtor, rammed his Audi into an autorickshaw at the Mayo Hall junction on MG Road, killing Deepak (19) while his two cousins escaped with injuries. The trio in the auto had finished work at a pub and were returning home to Murphy Town. Reddy, a resident of Indiranagar, was involve in two such incidents after this one. In all the cases, he escaped from the accident spot, leaving the vehicles behind. Known as Bengaluru’s Salman Khan.
July 2013: Krishnappa, a landlord and former president of Bommanahalli municipality, ran over 12 people in his Land Rover, killing four of them on the spot in Parappana Agrahara. He was under the influence of alcohol, and ran away from the scene after the accident.
March 2012: A drunk woman ran amok in Toyota Fortuner, killing a mason, R Nagaraj, sleeping on the pavement in Kalyan Nagar. Four other labourers, Shivayogi, Hanumantappa, L Gouda and Rangappa, sleeping next to him, escaped with injuries. The woman, Mahi, and her friend Ravi abandoned the vehicle and fled. They were returning from a party.
Jan 2009: Karthik Somaiah, a marketing operations manager, driving a Honda Accord on Indiranagar 100 Ft Road, hit a security guard on a bicycle and then mowed down four senior citizens on a morning walk.
Tamil Nadu CM condoles demise of MLA’s son
Krishnagiri: Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the death of P Karuna Sagar, son of MLA Y Prakash. Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin, along with ministers MRK Panneerselvam, KN Nehru, and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi visited Belakondapalli to pay their last respects.
Bindu told her parents she was in Chennai
Bengaluru: Chandrashekhar, the father of Bindu, one of the deceased, said, “She called home around 8 pm on Monday to inform us that she was in Chennai and was about to sleep after dinner. She also spoke to me for a while before disconnecting the call. She had completed her M.Sc and was working in Chennai earlier. She had decided to marry Sagar. But we had told her that Sagar’s is a rich family and we may not be able to fulfill all their wishes.”