Verbal spat between commuters, Policemen; tense situation eases after senior officers intervene

Mysore/Mysuru: An accident occurred yesterday afternoon at the Mysuru-Nanjangud Ring Road junction, resulting in injuries to 52-year-old K. Kalavathi, the wife of retired Government employee P. Nagaraju and a resident of Naidunagar.

The accident led to a heated exchange of words between the Police and the commuters who had gathered at the scene in large numbers. The commuters and locals alleged that the accident happened because the Police had placed barricades to enforce traffic regulations on this busy road. They claimed that the Police were prioritising revenue collection over public safety.

The incident took place around 1:30 pm as Kalavathi and Nagaraju were riding a scooter (KA-02-JR-7834). While they were on the move, an unexpected motorcyclist suddenly swerved in front of a car that was ahead of their scooter. The car’s driver applied the brakes abruptly and Nagaraju’s scooter narrowly avoided colliding with the rear of the car as he also applied the brakes.

Despite Nagaraju’s quick reaction and application of the scooter’s brakes, a lorry (KA-09-SC-6448) approaching from behind struck the scooter on the right side. This caused Kalavathi to fall and she ended up under the rear tyres of the lorry. The impact resulted in injuries to her hand and abdomen. Passersby and the Police promptly rushed her to a private hospital.

The lorry driver, Shashikumar of Gungral Chhatra, was arrested by the Krishnaraja Traffic Police, and a case of negligence was filed. After the accident, the lorry driver, unaware of the collision, continued for a short distance before being stopped by the public. Nagaraju, Kalavathi’s husband, provided a written statement detailing how the accident unfolded.

Shortly after the crash, with the woman in pain, angry members of the public directed their frustration towards the Police for installing barricades on the sides of the busy road to enforce traffic regulations. Residents and other commuters accused the Police of being money-oriented and neglecting public safety as a result.

Commuters claimed that after setting up the barricades, Policemen often concealed themselves behind parked Police vehicles or positioned themselves covertly behind trees to catch helmetless two-wheeler riders. In this particular incident, the Police allegedly pushed the barricade aside, causing the two-wheeler to fall and the lorry driver to run over Kalavathi, according to the commuters.

Heated arguments ensued between the public and the Police and accusations were exchanged. Videos of people accusing the Police of prioritising revenue collection were posted on social media. Sensing that the situation was escalating, senior officers intervened to calm the crowd. The tense situation eased after some time, with senior officers assuring disciplinary action if Police personnel were found responsible for moving the barricade, resulting in the accident.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Traffic ACP Parashuramappa denied that his officers’ actions caused the accident while enforcing traffic rules with barricades. Giving his officers a clean chit, the ACP stated that an investigation had been initiated into the incident. He further noted that it was the Police who shifted the injured Kalavathi to the hospital.

Parashuramappa claimed that public anger and frustration stemmed from misinformation and miscommunication. The lorry driver has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing, he added.