An assistant executive engineer of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and a truck driver were arrested after a 21-year-old food delivery executive died while reportedly negotiating a pothole-ridden stretch on Thanisandra Main Road on November 27.
The victim, Azeen Ahmed, was on his scooter when he is believed to have lost his balance while riding on a bad patch on the newly-asphalted road. He fell down and was run over by a goods vehicle. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed due to excessive bleeding.
During the course of investigation, Banaswadi traffic police found negligence on part of the assistant executive engineer (AEE), Mahadevapura zone, who reportedly failed to get the bad patch repaired. “This amounts to sheer negligence. The assistant executive engineer was made prime accused and arrested, along with the truck driver,” said the police.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that he has sought a report from the Special Commissioner (Projects). “It’s not right for the police to file an FIR based on rumours or suspicions. Civic officials are on the spot and attend to problems. Such accidents will not be justified and action should be initiated against the officials who are found to be at fault. However, in this particular instance, it appears prima facie that it appears that the BBMP is not at fault,” he said.
Both the AEE and the truck driver have been charged with death due to negligence, and the driver also for rash and negligent driving. Efforts are on to track down the civil contractor, who is the third accused in the case, and is presently on the run. The AEE was later released on station bail.