Trouble began around 9 am following an accident near Tirumala Palace Choultry bus stop in Kamakshipalya...
A goods vehicle fatally knocked down a pedestrian on Kamakshipalya Ring Road on Thursday morning, triggering violence and tension for nearly four hours. An angry mob torched the vehicle, stoned a dozen BMTC buses and roughed up police officers.
Trouble began around 9 am following an accident near Tirumala Palace Choultry bus stop in Kamakshipalya. The victim, Thimmaiah (45), died on the spot. A resident of Laggere, he is survived by his wife and two children.
According to the police, Thimmaiaha was a BSNL telephone mechanic attached to the Fault Control Division at the Vijayanagar telephone exchange. He was trying to cross the road when the accident took place.
The public went wild when it spotted the errant goods truck driver speeding away from the accident spot. A group of passersby chased the vehicle and when their efforts went in vain, they pelted stones. In the melee, the driver abandoned the vehicle and took to his heels. The mob set the truck ablaze.
Within minutes, Thimmaiah's family members and relatives were at the spot. They broke down when they learnt the body was shifted to MS Ramaiah Hospital. Some of them started rolling on the middle of the road. These emotional scenes were reason enough for hundreds of youths at the spot to go wild. Tension mounted as they started stoning BMTC buses and other vehicles.
In no time, traffic came to a halt and the Ring Road wore a deserted look. The victim’s brother Srinivas and relatives started questioning the traffic policemen, wanting to know why the body could be cleared only after formalities –– Mazhar/Panchanama. They were in no mood to listen to the constables.
Cops assaulted
It took almost four hours for tempers to cool. By then, the mob had targeted several government vehicles although there was not much damage to public property. For reasons best known to the men in khaki, information about the incident reached them late. Not a single law and order/crime constable was seen in the vicinity. When they did reach the spot, the mob was in a punishing mood. Kamakshipalya police inspector Manjunath, who was the first to reach the spot, received nasty treatment. Public snatched his lathi and thrashed him.
Three sub-inspectors - Sripada Shastry, Kalappa and Jayaram - were chased and assaulted. Kalappa was pulled out of the vehicle and hauled up. The frenzied crowd snatched the wallet of SI Shastry, which contained Rs 2,000.
Manjunath was admitted to Sarvodaya Hospital, while Shastry was shifted to PanAsia Hospital.
KSRP platoons failed to arrive on time. The police vehicles were stuck at a distance and as a result, the crowd had ample time to vent their rage. However, once the armed platoons got down to business and canes started swinging, the situation calmed down and peace was restored. Meanwhile, DCP (West) Sharth Chandra pacified the family members of the deceased, and explained the reason for shifting the body. Around 15 people were arrested and booked for rioting.
LOOKING BACK
A similar incident took place in 2005. A Hoysala vehicle was torched and police were forced to use tear gas and lathis to control the situation. From past experience, a stretch (nearly 200 metres) between Tirumala Bar and Premnagar bridge is known for its notoriety. Trouble breaks out quite often in the area and the slightest opportunity is seized upon to foment violence.
*Please read the typo below "way-of-right" as right-of-way...
by dhawa on 1/20/2008 7:03:05 AM
Over a year ago I submitted a comment on the need for Bangalore pedestrains to be given the way-of-right on zebra crossing. Deccan Herald Online failed to post it. What more should I say, after a death of a father in a family?
by Girish Bangalore on 1/18/2008 1:20:27 PM
I am not sure when our people will start behaving rationally. We have to have social behaviour education from KG and inculcate proper behavior and educate parents to stress the same at home. The changes should happen from ground up.
by manjunath on 1/18/2008 1:15:02 PM
people think by taking these actions they can get justice.i have noticed people have no traffic sense and drivers also drive as if they have no more time to live.these things have led to more deaths on road.people lack the basic sense not only illiterate but even so called educated ones.they crive with head lights on full beam,over take on left side,over speed.pedestrians do not use footpath ,cross roads without looking in either directions.its a right environment for more accidents to happen.
Thimmiah lost his life, his family lost the bread winner. If only cops and the govt establish proper rules, roads, ped crossings, driver education, Thimiah would be walking somewhere today! its pathetic that govt doesn't do much. No wonder Bangalore is turning into another Calcutta where public does what police will not do!
by Seenu Subbu on 1/18/2008 1:35:58 AM
It becomes hard to rationalize and justify actions of our folks, especially while fighting it out on blogs and international forums. Thimmaiah was crossing the ring road, as is the practice of most villagers, without much regard for the consequences. You could justify with much difficulty, the fact that they burnt the vehicle that rammed into the victim, but why stone BMTC vehicles? You dont need education, not much to behave like human beings!
by Devasahayam on 1/17/2008 5:53:37 PM
I hear very often that public take law into their own hands. What does actually damaging vehicles and stoning public transport buses have to do with the accident. Public have no right whatsoever to take their own action and the culprits should be severely punished and made to pay for all the damages. On the other hand the police and ambulance services need to be modernised to act very quickly. In Europe people remain calm after an accident and the police and the ambulance or on the spot at once.
