MARIYAMMANAHALLI (BALLARI): Close on the heels of the incident where the son of a Bengaluru MLA was allegedly involved in a car accident in which four people were injured, a road accident near Hosapete, allegedly involving son of a prominent minister, has raised several questions.
Two people were killed on the spot on National Highway 50 at Mariyammanahalli near Hosapete on Monday when the car lost control and rammed a pedestrian.
Ravi Nayak (18) died after he was dragged for several metres by the car. Sachin Sheshaiah, one of the occupants of the car, was also killed. Initial investigations have revealed that the car belongs to National Public School in Bengaluru South, in which Revenue Minister R Ashoka is believed to be a stakeholder.
Talk of the minister’s son being present in the car at the time of the accident spread after the medical officers at the Hosapete government hospital said the police “requested” them to complete the post-mortem that night itself.
The police had reportedly told the doctors that the request came from the higher-ups. However, speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru on Thursday, Minister Ashoka said the law will take its course and all details about the accident will come out after the probe.
FIR doesn’t name my son: Minister
Side-stepping a specific question if his son was in the car he said the FIR registered by the police has not named his son. Ashoka also said they have nothing to do with the institution to which the car belongs.
“There is no question of any attempt to hide anything. One person who was in the car died in the accident and others sustained injuries. Everything will come out after the probe. It is not right for me to comment when the probe is under way,” the minister said.
A group of friends had reportedly arrived in Hampi for the weekend and were staying at a resort at Virupapura Gaddi in Anegundi of Koppal district.
The accident occurred when they were returning.On the day of accident, the Ballari police had registered a case stating that the car was an Audi, but it turned out to be a Mercedes Benz (KA 05 MW 357).
Later, they claimed that there was an Audi car too which was tailing the Mercedes when the accident occurred. The FIR was registered only on Monday night and the names of injured were not released till the next day. Residents of Mariyammanahalli tanda claimed that the minister’s son was whisked away immediately from the spot. They said that local leaders had asked the families and relatives of the victim not to give any public statements.
However, Ballari Superintendent of Police C K Baba dismissed the involvement of the minister’s son in the accident.
“There was another car which was tailing the one involved in the accident and the police mentioned the wrong car in the FIR, leading to confusion,” he said.
The driver of Mercedes Benz car is now said to be absconding. The police had named Rahul, a resident of Jalahalli in Bengaluru as the driver. But on Wednesday, the police claimed that the injured were being treated in a hospital. The police have formed a team to nab Rahul.