CHENNAI: A 65-year-old security guard of a bus depot died after he was caught under the wheels of an MTC bus that was reversing on Sunday night. Though the initial reports claimed the driver was drunk, police officers later denied it. The deceased has been identified as Veluswamy from Theni.
He was deployed by a private security manpower agency at the Kundrathur bus depot a year ago, said the police. The accused Balasubramaniam, 46, from Chennai drives the MTC bus route number 88K plying between Kundrathur and Broadway.
Sources said Balasubramaniam had reached the depot to fill diesel for the vehicle before his shift. Around 11pm, after filling diesel, Balasubramaniam was reversing the bus to park it at the bus bay inside the depot when the accident happened. “Veluswami was standing behind the bus sweeping off the stagnant water. The driver failed to notice him and reversed the bus. In the impact, Veluswami came under the wheels of the bus,” said a senior police officer.
The other employees rushed Veluswami to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Balasubramaniam was booked under IPC 304 (causing death due to negligence) and further investigations are on.
Balasubramaniam is a member of the Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), the workers’ union affiliated with DMK. However, following the accident on Monday, the corporation maintained that the driver was not drunk. “We are awaiting the FIR copy. It was purely an accident that happened inadvertently. The departmental inquiry will be conducted,” said an official.
Two killed in separate road accidents
Chennai: Two people were killed in separate road accidents on Sunday night. In the incident at Avadi, Sampath (36), from Poochi Athipattu who worked in Ambattur Industrial Estate, was returning home from work on his two-wheeler, said the police. “At 9 pm, when he was on the Pandeeswaran Salai near Villivakkam, a calf jumped in front of him from the bush and Sampath lost control of the vehicle and hit the animal,” said a senior police officer. Sampath, who fell, was taken to the nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. In another accident, a 64-year-old security guard of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department was run over by a government bus. “At around 10 pm, he crossed the road opposite the Kancheepuram bus stand to board a bus and was knocked down by a government bus,” said the police. Based on the information, police registered a case and arrested the bus driver.
Biker crushed under bus at vadapalani
Chennai: A motorist was crushed to death by an MTC bus in Vadapalani on Sunday night. The deceased Pugazhendhi (37) from Dhayamandhi street in Virugambakkam was a private company employee. “Around 9 pm, an MTC bus knocked down his bike on the Vadapalani flyover near the metro station,” said the police. The MTC bus was plying between Tambaram and Koyambedu. Bus driver Sakthiman was booked by the Pondy Bazaar traffic investigation police.