Electrical fault: Maruti dealer booked for car blaze that killed mother and child

DHNS
February 7, 2018

Bengaluru, Feb 7: Police have booked Kalyani Motors, an authorised dealer and service centre for Maruti Suzuki, for the February 2 car fire that killed a mother and her son in East Bengaluru.

They ruled out foul play after initial probe and are convinced that the car with the 30-year-old woman and her four-year-old son went up in a ball of fire due to a mechanical and electrical fault.

A senior police officer said service personnel could be held culpable if faults in the car's system proved fatal. He also said police were awaiting the forensic report to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Police have also summoned the workers of Kalyani Motors and Maruti agency for questioning to find out the cause of the accident.

Madhur Varma, the uncle of Neha Varma who was charred to death in the accident, told DH that the 2009 model Maruti Ritz VXI had been serviced twice last year. "The vehicle had been comprehensively overhauled in March 2017, for which the bill came up to Rs 27,000," Varma said.

He said relays, clutch assembly and break shoes were replaced and the vehicle was given an oil change during the service. The second service in July was a routine one with oil changes to the engine and gear box.

Varma also added that no modification was made to the car since only three people - Neha, her businessman husband Rajesh and his father - had used it.

On the afternoon of February 2, Neha, a homemaker, had taken her son Param for lunch at the Herbs and Spices restaurant in Whitefield. Finishing the lunch at 1.30 pm, and paying the bill in Param's name, the duo went for shopping at Virginia Mall in Whitefield, located opposite the Forum Mall.

While parking the car at the basement of their apartment complex, it went up in flames. Security personnel assumed that it was unoccupied. The charred bodies of Neha and her son were found after the flames were doused.

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News Network
February 12,2020

Belagavi, 12: Even though the investigation into the four abandoned country pistols that were recovered by the Karnataka police on the outskirts of Waghawade village in Belagavi taluk last weekend did not make any headway, the police are verifying if the weapons had been used by the assassin of Gauri Lankesh for training.

Four country pistols were found abandoned on the outskirts of Waghawade on Sunday. Locals informed that the police had taken the weapons for inspection.

Prima facie it appeared that the weapons were rusted and had not been used for long. Cases had been registered against unidentified persons and investigations were in progress.

After reports that the weapons could have been used for training by the assassin of Gauri Lankesh in the forests in Khanapur, a few kilometres away from the spot wherein they were found, police have been looking into this angle too.

Sources said the condition of the weapons indicated that they have not been used for decades but to allay doubt all aspects were being looked into.

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News Network
August 9,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 9: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has expressed condolences over the death of nodal officer who died while being on COVID-19 duty and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakhs to the family of the deceased.

The deceased has been identified as H Gangadharaiah. As per reports, he died due to a heart attack while on COVID-19 duty.

A government job and Rs 25 lakhs will be provided to the officer's family, according to Karnataka Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

"Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa expressed his heartfelt condolences over the death of H Gangadharaiah, KAS, who was on COVID-19 duty as nodal officer at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC)," Karnataka CMO tweeted.

"CM announced Rs 25 lakhs ex-gratia from Chief Minister's Relief Fund, a government job for a family member and instructed the last rites of Gangadharaiah to be performed with full state honours," the CMO added.

In the last 24 hours, 7,178 new COVID-19 cases (including 2665 in Bengaluru Urban), 93 deaths and 5,006 discharged cases were reported in Karnataka.

The total number of cases rises to 1,72,102 in the state, including 79,765 active cases, 89,238 discharges and 3,091 deaths, as per the State's Health Department.

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News Network
March 16,2020

Belagavi, Mar 16: Despite issuing an order banning large gathering, including lavish weddings, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa attended the grand marriage celebrations of the daughter of BJP MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath in Belagavi on Sunday.

The Chief Minister had advised people to postpone weddings till the COVID-19 scare passed off, or to restrict the number of guests to around 100. But the wedding on the lawns of Shagun gardens in the Udyambag industrial area in Belagavi had many more times the number of visitors.

A police officer on duty at the venue estimated the crowd to be over 3,000.

The large gathering was in clear defiance of the government order and the Chief Minister’s appeal. But Mr. Yediyurappa’s presence seems to have vindicated this act.

Hundreds of cars were parked on both sides of the Khanapur road, outside the venue which was decorated with flowers, buntings, rolls of paper and colourful cloth. Two huge banners about preventing the spread of COVID-19 have been put up at the venue. There are wash basins at two ends and several hand sanitiser counters across the ground.

Apart from Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi, and ministers Srimanth Patil and MLA Mahesh Kumthalli, there were several leaders from the BJP, the Congress and the JD(S) who attended the marriage. There were some officers from the city corporation and district administration among the guests.

The Chief Minister arrived around 11 a.m. and stayed for nearly an hour at the venue. He left after wishing the couple and greeting some leaders.

On his arrival, at the Sambra airport, Mr. Yediyurappa said the State was well-equipped to handle the spread of the infection. “Over one lakh have been tested. Among the 100 suspected cases, the virus was detected only in six persons. One person has died. But otherwise the situation is under control. Officers are working round the clock,’’ he said.

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