MYSURU: Kannada film actors Darshan Thoogudeepa, Devaraj and his son Prajwal suffered injuries after a high-end car they were travelling in ran into a divider in Mysuru on Monday. Roy Anthony, the driver of the vehicle that belongs to a hotel here, also suffered injuries. The injured have been admitted to Columbia Asia Hospital on Mysuru-Bengaluru Road.
According to V V Puram traffic police, around 2.30 am, the car skidded and hit the median after one of its tyres burst, in front of JSS Urban Haat junction near Hebbal outer-ring road junction.While Darshan suffered a fracture in his right forearm, Anthony’s right shoulder got fractured. Devaraj suffered fractures in his left hand fingers while his son Prajwal received minor injuries on his forehead.
Darshan operated for fracture: Doctor
Dr Upendra Shenoy, a cardiac surgeon and chief medical officer at Columbia Asia Hospital, said, “They will be kept under observation at the hospital for the next 48 hours and the decision of their stay further will be taken later. Darshan, however, has to stay in the hospital for some more time.”
Soon after their car met with an accident, actor Devaraj is learnt to have told his personal assistant (PA) over phone about the incident, who in turn alerted Lakshman, Darshan’s bodyguard. By the time Lakshman reached the hospital, they had been admitted. It was only after that, Lakshman visited the accident site. The actors who were shooting for Odeya, a Kannada film being produced by MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, also the MD of Hotel Sandesh the Prince, were returning to the hotel, at the time of the accident, said a source quoting Lakshman’s complaint.
Dr Upendra Shenoy, a cardiac surgeon and chief medical officer at Columbia Asia Hospital, told the media,”They came to the hospital around 5.30am. Darshan told us about the accident and the injuries received, which prompted the medical staff to arrange for emergency medical treatment. Soon after conducting the required tests that included X-ray and scanning, Darshan was operated for fracture and also muscle injuries under regional anaesthesia. A plate has been inserted to fix the fractured part, later covered with 22 to 25 stitches. A team of two doctors -- Dr Ajay Hegde and plastic surgeon Dr Vijay -- operated on him.”
Soon after learning about the accident, Darshan’s family members - mother Meena, wife Vijayalakshmi and son Vineesh - arrived at the hospital. Anticipating that the fans of the actors may visit the hospital in large numbers, Vijayalakshmi appealed to them through media not to panic and also repeatedly confirmed that Darshan is out of danger and his condition is stable. As a precautionary measure, a platoon of city armed reserve (CAR) police was deputed at the hospital.Following the complaint, police have filed a case under IPC sections 279 (negligent driving), 337 (causing minor injuries) and 338 (grievous injuries).
SUV ‘towed’ away to secret location?
Mysuru: Soon after the accident, the SUV in which they were travelling, was allegedly kept at an undisclosed location for several hours, till it was brought to the police station late in the afternoon. As is the procedure under the Indian Motor Vehicles (IMV) Act, regional transport office (RTO) personnel inspected the vehicle, before releasing the same.
Police Commissioner A Subramanyeshwar Rao told Express,” According to the complaint, Roy Anthony was driving the vehicle. With regard to the chances of any drunk driving, it will be only driver who will be subjected to investigation not the occupants. It can be ascertained only after medical reports are received from the hospital.”
‘We ran only to see Darshan in overturned car’
Mysuru: Several theories are doing the rounds in connection with the road accident in which actor Darshan was injured. “We woke up to the loud banging sound and cries for help. When we went there we found a luxury SUV overturned on the service road,” said a lorry driver.
Kiran, who works as a cleaner, said the vehicle toppled as it lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and rammed the footpath. He claimed it was actor Darshan who was driving the vehicle. He also added his friends who were with him in two other cars took him to a hospital and arranged for a tow van that removed the vehicle from the spot within an hour of the accident. Another resident said, “We do not want to divulge further details as they are big people and we would be dragged in for no reason.”