Bengaluru: An orthopedic doctor behind the wheels of a Mercedez Benz C class car, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, shocked hundreds of commuters on Jayanagar Road in Bengaluru with his reckless driving, killing a two-wheeler driver.
He rammed into several vehicles at three spots in a stretch of three kilometres, mowing down a man and leaving three others injured. Six vehicles, including three cars, were damaged in the rampage.
As it was a Sunday afternoon, the number of vehicles on the roads was comparatively less, or the casualty would have been much higher. The accused doctor, Shankar N.S., aged around 50 years, who has been arrested by the Wilson Garden traffic police, is allegedly trying to mislead the police claiming that he felt someone injected him while driving and he does not what happened after that.
The series of accidents started at Ashoka Pillar around 2 pm, when the Benz (KA-01-MF-9186) hit a Swift car and two two-wheelers. Dr Shankar did not stop but sped away. About one and a half kilometres away, on Byrasandra Main Road near Madhavan Park, he rammed into a Tata Indica cab from rear, and a two-wheeler.
A Maruti Zen car coming behind his car also lost control due to the accident and banged into an electric pole. The two-wheeler rider was injured in the mishap while the cab rammed into the compound of a house, damaging a pillar.
Dr Shankar continued to speed on the main road and about a kilometre from there at Byrasandra 4th Main, he mowed down a couple, who were drinking tea at a stall. The Benz came to a halt only after ramming into a shed in the corner. The shed was partially damaged in the incident.
Dr. Shankar, who was running Siddartha Clinic near his house in Jayanagar fourth block, was accompanied by his domestic help Saritha and her two-year-old son. Hundreds of people, who gathered at the spot, dragged him out of the car and assaulted him. Police intervened before things went out of control and took him to a hospital for medical examination.
Dr Shankar, Saritha and her son also sustained minor injuries in the incident and were saved from major injuries as the air bags in the front seats opened.
Two hours after the incident, Saritha again came to the spot and was dragged by the mob but the police rescued her. She had come to defend the doctor claiming that they were rushing to attend a patient, but he had an epileptic seizure and that led to the mishap.
The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Rizwan Khan, 52, a tailor by profession and a resident of Byrasandra. His wife, Mohsina Khanum, 45, sustained a fracture in her leg.
The couple was running a tailoring shop near their house. They were reportedly going to a shop and had stopped for tea when the mishap occurred.
The other injured are identified as Mahzid Khan, 20, and Anjum Khan, 30, who were riding on separate two wheelers. All the three are undergoing treatment at a hospital and are recovering.
Doc tried to mislead police
Accused Dr. Shankar was reportedly living alone after his wife filed a dowry harassment case against him. In the medical test, it was reportedly found that he was under the influence of alcohol, but it is not yet known whether it was under permissible limits.
Sources said he was trying to mislead the police by giving multiple statements. The police have booked him under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), which is more stringent than section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC, which is generally invoked in accident cases.
Occupants of shed were away
The accident would have been disastrous if the occupants of the shed, which was partially damaged in the incident, were present. It belonged to one Rathnamma, who lived along with her son Somashekhar, daughter Anasuya, and two grand children.
“The family had gone to Mysuru on Sunday morning to pay visit to a relative. Usually, they sat in front of the shed selling coconut. If they were to be present, they would have got killed in the accident,” said Gopal, Rathanamma’s brother.
