Two fatal accidents caused by unscientific road humps laid on Bogadi Main Road; White stripes painted too late; Visibility still an issue

Mysore/Mysuru: In a clear case of official apathy, two innocent youths died after riding over unscientific road humps that surfaced overnight on Bogadi Main Road in the city.

Yashwanth (27), son of Rajendra Prasad, a resident of Maratikyathanahalli in Mysuru Taluk and Kumar of Krishnayyanahundi, H.D. Kote Taluk, are the deceased youths. While two other youths Duggesh and Shivam, who had suffered grievous injuries in separate accidents caused due to the same road humps, are undergoing treatment at a hospital. They are recuperating and stated to be out of danger.

Authorities of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Zone-4 Office laid the road humps between Kukkarahalli Lake Junction and All India Institute of Speech and Hearing  (AIISH) Junction on Bogadi Road. However, in the separate accidents involving a two-wheeler and three-wheeler, two youths had to pay with their lives for the callousness of officials, while two others sustained injuries.

Yashwanth was riding his two-wheeler towards AIISH Junction from Kukkarahalli Lake side on Sunday at about 2 am, when he lost control of his vehicle after riding over the hump in front of Kuvempu Statue Gate, the main entrance of Manasagangothri campus of University of Mysore.

He had sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to K.R. Hospital before being shifted to JSS Hospital on M.G. Road, where he died on Monday (yesterday), according to Krishnaraja Traffic Police.

In another case, Kumar and Duggesh from H.D. Kote were critically injured, when a goods autorickshaw they were travelling in drove over the hump winding down near AIISH Junction on Sunday night at about 11.30 and rammed a car coming in the opposite direction, before turning turtle on the road. Both had been admitted to K.R. Hospital, where Kumar succumbed in the early hours of Monday.

Kumar was a vegetable vendor who was supplying vegetables to hotels in the city. He was seated alongside Duggesh, the goods auto driver in the cabin when the accident occurred.

In yet another incident, Shivam from Virajpet, residing at Saraswathipuram sustained injuries after he fell from his two-wheeler, while negotiating the road hump near AIISH on Sunday at about 6.30 am. He was rushed to Kamakshi Hospital in Saraswathipuram, before shifting him to JSS Hospital for further treatment. K.R. Traffic Police Inspector M. Irshad is investigating the cases.

Punishment & compensation

Under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, “Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of two years, or with fine, or with both.”

On May 21, 2015, Mumbai High Court, in an interim order, held that “right to have properly maintained roads is part of the fundamental right guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and in the event, any loss caused due to its violation, citizens have a right to seek compensation.” But alas, who cares?