Man dies after Tumkur MLA’s vehicle knocks him down

Bangalore, April 30: A senior citizen was killed when he was knocked down by a speeding SUV carrying Tumkur Rural MLA Suresh Gowda, near Nelamangala Main Road on Sunday.

The accident occurred at around 10.30 am, when the victim, Thimma Hanumaiah, 69, was crossing the road. Hanumaiah sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital on Nelamangala Main Road.

Dr Manjappa, the orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, said the victim was talking when he was brought to the hospital. “We conducted a scan on the patient and found severe internal bleeding due to injuries caused to major organs. Since our hospital did not have the facilities to handle the case, we referred him to Columbia Asia Hospital in Yeshwantpur,” he said.

However, Hanumaiah succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Dr Sunil Rao from Columbia Asia Hospital confirmed that the patient was brought dead to the hospital.Hanumaiah, a resident of Rajajinagar and a retired HMT staffer, was a native of Kenchiganahalli in Nelamangala.

On Sunday, Hanumaiah was on his way to Chunchanagiri. En route, he had stopped his car near a ‘kalyana mantap’ to attend the wedding of a distant relative. He was crossing the road when he was hit by the speeding SUV.

Balaramaiah, a distant cousin of Hanumaiah, who witnessed the accident, told Deccan Herald that the impact of the accident was such that he was thrown up into the air for about 10 feet.

“We came to know that the SUV belonged to MLA Suresh Gowda, when he got off the car after moving a safe distance ahead. He did not even care to see the victim’s face, instead arranged for another car to pick him up and went away. We were shocked with his apathy. Soon, one of his followers came and tried to talk to us,” he said.

However, Suresh Gowda denied that he had fled the scene after the accident.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, he said: “It was an accident. Actually, pedestrians are not allowed on the national highway. When this man suddenly came on to the road, the driver tried his best to avoid hitting him, but lost control of the vehicle. It is not true that I fled the scene. In fact, I left two taluk panchayat members and my personal assistant with them. They have been with the victim’s family throughout the day. It is the electronic media that has sensationalised the case. I will visit the family.”

But, Hanumaiah’s family said they were hurt by the statements made by the MLA that he would provide compensation to the victim’s family. The victim’s son, Prasanna Kumar, working with Kirloskar, condemned the statement and said they did not want the MLA’s money as nothing could compensate his father’s death.

Nelamangala police registered a case, seized the vehicle and arrested the driver, Dayanand.