Bengaluru: A day after a techie died by drowning in a cab she was travelling at Bengaluru’s KR Circle underpass which was flooded following heavy rains, the Halasuru Gate Police have arrested the driver for negligent driving.

The Halasuru Gate Police have filed an FIR under IPC Section 304(a) (Causing death by negligence).

Based on the complaint filed by deceased techie Bhanurekha’s brother Sandeep, an FIR was filed in which Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials and the cab driver were named as accused. The Police have taken cab driver Harish into their custody and are questioning him.

Complainant Sandeep had accused the driver of not letting the cab occupants get down claiming he (driver) would cross the flooded underpass which led to tragedy. After the incident, the underpass has been shut for vehicular movement and the BBMP has started an audit of all underpasses in the city.

“We are undertaking an audit of all the underpasses so that such incidents should not occur in future. We are closing those underpasses, which are not fit to use,” BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath told reporters.

Nath said he has given directions to the Chief Engineer of the civic agency to see that water drains out from these underpasses through the storm water drains. According to him, such an exercise has been undertaken at 18 underpasses in the city.

It may be recalled that Bhanurekha (22), an employee of Infosys, drowned on Sunday after the cab she was travelling in with her family got stuck in neck-deep water at KR Circle underpass.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel and the public saved five others of the family. The victim as well as others was taken to St. Martha’s Hospital, where doctors declared Bhanurekha dead.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rushed to the hospital, took stock of the situation and announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh and free treatment for those admitted in the hospital.