Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Dec 30: In an accident which happened near Balkur school at B H Cross on the highway from the town to Shivamogga on the night of Saturday December 29, an Ayyappa devotee who was following austerities prior to undertaking Sabrimala pilgrimage, who was riding a motor bike, was killed after a Mahindra Bolero vehicle that was moving a high speed hit his vehicle from behind.

The victim of this accident has been identified as Ravi Poojary from Jansale village in the taluk. 

Zakir from Kandlur was driving the Bolero at around 10 pm on Saturday towards the town from the direction of Kandlur. He was trying to overtake a bus that was ahead of him, when his vehicle reportedly got involved in a head-on collision with the motor bike coming from the opposite direction. Both the vehicles were badly mangled in the accident, and got tossed to the roadside agricultural field. Ravi Poojary, who got ejected from his two-wheeler and fell to the ground with great force, died on the spot. Although an effort to save the life of Ravi with the help of locals was made, it did not succeed.

Driver of the Bolero, Zakir, fled from the accident scene immediately after the accident. Hundreds of people who arrived at the spot in support of the victim, held protest by blocking the road, insisting that Zakir should be immediately arrested. A woman police officer of Kandlur station tried to disperse the mob. The people, who turned angry at this move, mobbed the police. The comment made by one of the policemen that the deceased is gone forever, and it is futile to hold protest, angered the people further.

As the road blockade continued, Kandlur police sub-inspector and staff tried to calm the people down. Even after the police promised to arrest the culprit, the people were not satisfied. Although they demanded apology from the policeman who made insensitive comment about the deceased, they were confused as the person who uttered these words could not be identified because of pitch dark conditions.

The protesters also sent back the crane that had arrived to lift the Bolero from the field. Traffic was thrown out of g ear at the spot for about 90 minutes, and tension prevailed. The mortal remains of the deceased bike rider were shifted to the mortuary of the government hospital here.

Kandlur police, who have registered a case, are investigating.