Bratty drivers kill, maim and live free

Do the rich and powerful ever pay for their crimes on the streets? How do those who drive recklessly and kill and maim escape punishment? How many brat drivers have gone to jail? None in the past few years. Take two cases. Bar Krishnappa and Rajesh L Reddy are among those whose names hit the headlines after they ran their expensive cars over poor people. Arraigned for accidents in 2013, neither has been convicted or jailed.

“It is not the trial that takes time; because of the money and influence enjoyed by those who drive luxury cars, the trial is slowed down at every stage,” says a senior police officer.
Rich brats have access to the best of lawyers and the cases keeps shuttling between higher and lower courts. “The victim gives up hope when he realises the futility of it all,” the police officer told Metrolife.

If a case is delayed for 10 years, the witnesses may not even be around to give evidence when it does come up for hearing. “These accidents happen in the presence of bystanders. Do you think it is easy to find them after eight or nine years? And even if they are found, would they come forward to speak about it in court?” the officer asks.

M T Nanaiah, senior advocate, says rich brats responsible for hit-and-run cases know how to escape the long arm of the law. “The police don’t do a thorough investigation because the accused have contacts not only among the local police but also among their higher-ups. They dilute the case,” says Nanaiah.

After a chargesheet is filed, the police put it in cold storage. “It is their duty to work with the public prosecutor. This is not done. They don’t secure witnesses and follow up,” says Nanaiah.

How they get away

A senior police officer describes how the rich go scot-free even after killing innocents on the streets. They flee from spot to escape breathalyser test. They challenge section of the law in FIR. They challenge the jurisdiction of the court. They try to buy witnesses and rig medical reports.

Bar Krishnappa

July 2013
Four dead, six injured
A speeding Land Rover driven by Bar Krishnappa, allegedly drunk, rammed a road median, swerved and mowed down people walking on the footpath at 10.30 pm. Police say he escaped under cover of darkness. Bar Krishnappa is so called as he runs a chain of bars and restaurants. He was chairman of the Bommanahalli municipal council.
Status: No conviction

Rajesh L Reddy

1 dead, 2 crippled, many terrified
Rajesh L Reddy, son of movie producer and realtor Lokesh Reddy, was driving a brand new Audi Q7 at 150 kmph when he crashed into an auto near Mayo Hall, killing a man and injuring two. Ashoknagar traffic police inspector registered a case, and took a long time to file the charge sheet, but nothing has been heard of the case since. Rajesh, then a BBM student, got into a violent scrap two years later when a Etios rear-ended the BMW he was driving. He got the driver of the Etios to sit in the passenger seat and drove the vehicle wildly, brushing it against the medians and leaving it damaged.
Status: No conviction

Dr Ravi Teja

Aug 2018
Boy killed
The 30-year-old surgical oncologist, speeding in a BMW near the Domlur flyover, hit Kevin Richard, 17-year-old son of a floral decorator, killing him on the spot. The doctor was allegedly drunk.
Status: No conviction