Bengaluru: A New Year’s Eve celebration turned into a nightmare for pedestrians when a speeding SUV, allegedly driven by a drunk man, ploughed through a crowd near the Mall of Asia in Byatarayanapura late Wednesday night.
Four people sustained serious injuries.
The accident occurred at 10.20 pm near Gate No 3, the back gate of the mall.
Sanjay Nagar Traffic Police said the accused, 48-year-old Sunil Kumar Singh B, a resident of Doddabommasandra, was driving a Mahindra XUV 700 (KA-05-NP-3609). Singh, reportedly a legal practitioner, was exiting the mall premises when he lost control of the vehicle.
Eyewitnesses and police said the vehicle was being driven at high speed and in a reckless manner. The SUV first rammed into an iron barricade installed on the footpath by the mall management before ploughing into pedestrians on the road and pavement.
The victims have been identified as Akkamma, 30, Chandrashekhar, 36, Rajalakshmi, 53, and Prajwal Shashidhar Chavaadi, 27. All four were rushed to a nearby hospital with help from the public for emergency treatment.
"The driver was under the influence of alcohol and was driving extremely fast despite the heavy New Year’s Eve crowds," a senior police officer said.
Sanjay Nagar Traffic Police have registered a case against Singh under sections 281 (rash driving) and 125(a) (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 185 (drunk driving) of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act.
Failure to safeguard
In a notable move, police have also named the mall’s security in-charge as an accused.
The FIR stated that the mall management failed to implement adequate safety measures for the public within and around the premises during the high-footfall event. Further investigation is on.