Bharath Raj, popular Tollywood actor Ravi Teja’s brother, died in a road accident on the Outer Ring Road late on Saturday.
According to officials of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Police Station, the car driven by Bharath Raj, also an actor, rammed a truck that had broken down near Kothwalguda on the ring road. The actor, 45, had been at a hotel in Shamshabad till 9.30 p.m. before he left for Gachibowli. The accident happened around 10 p.m.
“He was driving a red Skoda sedan. There was no one else in the vehicle.
“The area where the accident happened was well lit. But we have registered a case of causing death due to negligence on the truck driver,” said Sub-Inspector L. Ramesh Naik.
The impact of the collision mangled the car and the police extricated the body with the help of locals. The mortal remains were later sent to the Osmania General Hospital for autopsy. While over-speeding was believed to have led to the crash, the police did not rule out the possibility of the actor driving under the influence of alcohol.
Empty alcohol bottles
A police official said empty bottles of alcohol were found in the car but it was not known if liquor had been consumed by him before driving. The viscera was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory to determine the presence of any intoxicating substances in his body.
Bharath Raj, who acted in many Telugu films, was in the past arrested on charge of possession of drugs.
