HYDERABAD: For nearly 45-long minutes, Shaik Azhar, stuck under the wheels of a vehicle that ran over his bike, tried to get help to save himself and his family members. All his efforts to get help in time failed and he breathed his last before he was shifted to a hospital.
Azhar, a 37-year-old resident of Hasmathpet and a salesman in a cloth store, was crushed under the wheels of a tipper truck on Thursday night at Trimulgherry. He was driving a bike along with his wife and four kids and was stuck under the vehicle for a long time.
Bearing the pains of injuries, Azhar, lying beside the bodies of his daughter and son, made frantic calls to his family members from his mobile phone for help. But before his family members arrived at the place, Azhar and his three children lost their lives.
All this time, the city police failed to reach the spot. Whether the accident spot comes under Karkhana or Trimulgherry police stations was their concern rather than rushing to the place, the family members of the victims alleged.
“My brother Azhar made calls to us from his mobile phone informing that he met with an accident and sought help in rescuing him. However, I could not hear his voice clearly where the accident took place. Before we arrived at the place, four of them died,” Azhar’s brother Abdul Hafeez, who came to receive the bodies at the Gandhi mortuary, told Express.
Abdul Hafeez and other family members alleged, “It was purely negligence of police in taking measures to rescue the injured victims. The police refused to respond over the mishap citing jurisdiction. While Trimulghery police claimed it comes under Karkhana, the latter said the accident spot comes under Trimulgherry police limits. If police responded swiftly and shifted the injured, Azhar might have got timely medical attention and he might have been saved,” Abdul Hafeez said.
Azhar’s aunty Shahanaz Sulthana recalled that the six members of a family left to Model Function Hall to attend a function. Before they left the home located at Hasmathnagar, Azhar’s wife Imrana Begum asked her to take care of their house. Minutes after they left the place, she received information from his relatives that the victims have met an accident.
“We don’t know where exactly the accident took place. We received a call from Azhar who received injuries and was struck amid vehicle told that accident took place in Trimulgherry main road. I have dialed to 108 medical emergency staff and informed about accident. It took around 35 minutes to reach the emergency vehicle at the spot,” said Mohammed Imtiyaz, relative of Azhar.
The family members staged a protest at the Gandhi hosptial demanding action against the police for not responding to the distress call.
Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who visited the hospital, calmed down the protestors and announced that action will be taken against the police officials, if they were found negligent in reaching to the spot.
The minister also announced ` 5 lakh compensation and also assured to provide medical facilities free of cost to the injured.
Police, however, disputed the claims of the family. North Zone DCP B Sumathi said the police reached the spot within seven minutes of the time of reporting of the crime.
“Inspectors of both Trimulgherry and Karkhana police stations along with six constables reached the place,” she said.
Sumathi added that the entire accident was captured on CCTVs and this included the arrival of police within seven minutes.
“However, it took 30 minutes to remove the body which was crushed between the lorry wheel and the vehicle on which the victim was travelling,” Sumathi told Express.