Seven days after the accident in which 45 passengers of a Bangalore–Hyderabad bus were charred to death in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh, the bodies of some victims were brought to the city on Wednesday.
The body of Venkatesh Babu, who was on the bus with his cousin Anita — they were going to invite actor Chiranjeevi for Venkatesh’s niece’s wedding — arrived here early on Wednesday. Anita’s body is yet to be brought to the city.
The roads of Kalasipalya, where his family lives, were filled with the sounds of heart-wrenching wails of relatives. The entire neighbourhood was on the streets to support the family. The body was taken in procession to Wilson Garden crematorium here.
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R.V. Devraj, Chickpet MLA, along with Zameer Ahmed Khan, Chamarajpet MLA, visited the house on Wednesday. Mr. Devraj said he knew Venkatesh’s family well as they were neighbours. “I knew him and his father well and was well-acquainted with the rest of the family too. It is unfortunate that their lives came to an end in such a way,” he said.
Mr. Khan said he and Mr. Devraj would talk to representatives of Jabbar Travels, the agency that ran the bus service, and put pressure on the State government to provide compensation to the families. “The Andhra Pradesh government has already announced compensation of Rs. 10 lakh. Here also the State government should provide at least Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh,” he said. He has given Venkatesh’s family financial aid in a personal capacity.