Mandya: A Raitha Sangha activist was killed on the spot while a boy sustained serious injuries when a bullock cart ran over them during the bullock cart race competition at Chikkamandya village in the taluk last evening.

The deceased has been identified as Nagaraju (55), a Raitha Sangha activist and Field Executive of Organic Mandya. He was a resident of Kilara village. The critically injured boy is ten-year-old Hrithik of Hulivana village, who is battling for life at MIMS Hospital.

It is learnt that Madhu of Kilara village, Narasimha, Rajappa and Anand of Chikkamandya had organised the bullock cart race competition for which the local Panchayat and the Revenue Officer had not given permission and had also submitted a report pertaining to the competition to the Deputy Commissioner. But still, the bullock cart race competition began on Saturday and the final race was held yesterday evening. The organisers had fixed Rs. 4,000 as fee for a pair of bulls for the race and over 48 pairs of bulls from across the State had arrived to take part in the race.

Holding the organisers responsible for holding the competition illegally, that too without taking permission, resulting in Nagaraju being killed and Hrithik sustaining serious injuries, the public said that no barricades were installed to prevent people from going close to the track and no measures were taken for the safety of people by the organisers.

The public urged Superintendent of Police (SP) Yathish to get the organisers arrested immediately, initiate legal action against them and get the compensation paid to the deceased Nagaraju’s family from the organisers.

Meanwhile, soon after the incident, the organisers, along with six bikes, which they had brought as prizes to be distributed to the winners have fled from the spot.