Two youngsters were killed on the spot and three others injured when a four-wheeler in which MLA C.T. Ravi was travelling rammed into two cars parked by the side of the road on NH 75, near Urkehalli bridge in Kunigal taluk of Tumakuru district, early on Tuesday morning. Mr. Ravi was not driving the car, the police said.
The deceased have been identified as Sunil Gowda S.P. and Shashikumar S.J. of Suranahalli in Ramanagaram district. A case has been registered in Kunigal police station but the Chikkamagaluru MLA was not mentioned in the FIR. No arrests have been made so far.
The driver of one of the cars that was hit, Puneet S., said he and 13 friends, most of whom work in private factories, had gone on a trip in two cars to Sringeri, Horanadu, and Kundapura, and were returning to Bengaluru on Tuesday. “Around 2 a.m., we had parked our cars by the side of the road and were transferring luggage from one vehicle to another when the MLA’s vehicle rammed into us. The cars’ indicators were on,” said Mr. Puneet. Five of his friends who were standing on the left side of the road were hit.
“I saw C.T. Ravi coming from the front side of the vehicle after the accident, but I didn’t see him driving the car,” he added. He alleged that at first the MLA was very silent, but got angry when he started recording him. “He called his friends on his phone,” Mr. Puneet said, adding that the BJP leader then proceeded to threaten him. “He left the spot after a few minutes in another four-wheeler.”
Later, with the help of locals, the bodies and the injured persons were shifted to Kunigal taluk government hospital.
Relatives protest
Relatives and friends of the deceased staged a protest against the MLA on the premises of the hospital and demanded justice.
According to the BJP State media convenor, Mr. Ravi was not driving the car at the time of the accident, and nor was he drunk. “He was suffering from chest pain caused by the accident,” said a release from the party.
Later in the day, Mr. Ravi called the accident unfortunate. In a video clip released on social media, the MLA said he had been on his way to Chennai with his driver Akash. “I was asleep and awoke when the air bag inflated,” he said, adding that he had chest pain and had sustained minor injuries. He was taken to a private hospital in Benglauru. “I will attend the funeral of the youth. I have prayed to God to give strength to the family members of the deceased.”
