K.R. Pet:  Five members of a family from Bengaluru, who were on their way to Sri Bhu Varahanatha Swamy Temple at Ganjigere Kallahalli in the taluk, has a miraculous escape, when the car in which they were travelling caught fire after running over millet straw which was strewn on the road for threshing by farmers near Rajenahalli  village yesterday.

According to the Police, Dr. Santhoshi, a lecturer, residing at Yelahanka in Bengaluru, was travelling with her mother Sowbhagya, son Abhay, sister Malathi and Malathi’s son Phaneesh to offer puja at Sri Bhu Varahanatha Swamy Temple at Ganjigere Kallahalli in the taluk.

When they neared Rajenahalli, a stretch of road there was strewn with heaps of millet straw for threshing and the car had to move on those millet straw as there was no other place. In the process, some straw got stuck to the wheel of the car and caught fire which was not noticed by the occupants of the car.

Meanwhile, some youths, who noticed the fire, chased the car on their bikes to some distance and alerted the driver, who immediately stopped the car and the occupants jumped out of the car resulting in minor injuries to them.

Some passersby informed the Fire Brigade personnel, who rushed to the spot and managed to douse the fire. But, the car was completely charred.

Dr. Santhoshi later lodged a complaint with the Police, following which, Circle Inspector Venkateshaiah, Rural Police SI K.N. Girish visited the spot and have registered cases against farmers who had strewn millet crops on the road for threshing.

It is learnt that the car worth about Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 5,000 cash kept in the car was destroyed in the fire.

It may be recalled that on Dec.25, a couple of cars and SUVs were involved in a series of accidents at Shiramalli near Yelamathur Gate (Handpost-N.Begur Road) on the H.D. Kote Road as they crashed into one another when the drivers lost control over their vehicles.

As the vehicles passed the crop-laden roads, they skidded and due to dust they could not see the vehicles that were moving ahead, resulting in accidents. Enraged after seeing their damaged cars, vehicle owners set the sheaves on fire. A complaint was filed at the H.D. Kote Police Station by some car owners.

Following a series of complaints from motorists about threshing paddy, horse gram and ragi crops on roads which was causing accidents, Mysuru Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravi D. Channannavar had directed Sub-Inspectors to hold meetings with farmers along with Panchayat Development Officers and other Revenue Department Officials to discourage the farmers from using public roads for threshing their harvest.

The SP had instructed the Police officials to create awareness against the practise and its consequences besides directing the officials to initiate legal action if the farmers fail to abide to the warning.