Bad road leads to death of another biker in city

NT Correspondent

A 27-year-old bike rider died after he was thrown off his bike when it went over a jagged stretch in MS Palya on the road towards Muneshwara Layout in Yelahanka traffic police station limits on Sunday night.

The friends of the victim staged a protest near the spot accusing the civic agencies of negligence resulting in the fatal accident. The road was dug up recently, but not fully restored. They were also upset that the ambulance did not reach the spot during the golden hour.

The police have identified the deceased as Ashwin, a native of Haveri, residing at Vaderahalli in the city. He was working in a private firm in the city.

On Sunday night at around 9.30 pm, when he was riding a bike towards the Muneshwara Layout, he reportedly fell down after the vehicle went over the jagged stretch. He is said to have sustained severe head injuries. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he succumbed to injuries during the treatment. The biker breathed his last early Monday.

He is said to be the only son for his parents. As the ambulance did not reach the spot on time despite waiting for a few minutes, he was finally shifted in a car by the locals. The victim was returning home after meeting friends. He is alleged to have been riding the bike without wearing a helmet.

The road was dug by a civic agency due to some work and the bike went on the jagged stretch. There was no barricade to caution the motorists.

The police are also checking if the victim was under the influence of alcohol. The report is yet to come and based on that another FIR will be lodged, said North Zone Traffic DCP Savita.The Yelahanka traffic police have registered a case and are further investigating.

It may be recalled that in September last year a 65-year-old person with disability, Khurshid Ahmed, a resident of MICO Layout, died after he was thrown off his special scooter when it went over a similar stretch near Ullal in Kamakshipaya traffic police station limits.

Civic agencies blame each other
Following Ashwin’s death, civic agencies in Bengaluru are resorting to blame games and cover ups. Reacting to the incident, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that the accident could have been avoided if the BWSSB officials had been more cautious. The Water Board’s mistake led to the youngster’s death, he said.

“Strict action will be taken against the guilty. A criminal case will be filed against the Water Board. Such incidents take place because of digging the roads without any prior information and then leaving it without restoring. Five cases have been already filed against other organizations including the Water Board and Bescom,” the BBMP Chief Commissioner said.

According to the police, Ashwin was returning home with a food packet for his mother late on Sunday night when the accident took place. The area had low visibility as there was no street light, due to which Ashwin rode into the dug up portion and fell off after losing the balance and suffered grievous injuries.

The sources also said that Ashwin was reportedly lying on the road bleeding profusely for about 30 minutes. His friends later shifted him to a hospital at MS Palya.

The eyewitnesses explained that if the victim would have been taken to the hospital early, he would have been saved.

After his death on Monday morning, Ashwin’s friends protested at the spot where the accident had taken place and blamed the BBMP and water board for his death.

Soon Aam Aadmi Party workers joined the residents and relatives of Ashwin to stage a protest against the civic agencies. They demanded the intervention of both BBMP and BWSSB officials. The Yelahanka police detained a few protesters as a precautionary measure. Later, Ashwin’s mother and friends filed a complaint against BBMP and BWSSB.

The public expressed anger over the delayed response from the emergency helpline staff. The eyewitnesses claimed that when they called for an ambulance after the accident, the staff who received the call did not respond.

Ashwin’s mother Vasudha, who is inconsolable after the death of her son, said she had warned him about the potholes on the road and he should ride carefully. “No mother should go through this pain. He was earning a livelihood for the family. I have lost my purpose in life,” she said.