Chikkaballapur family grieves cruel death of breadwinner

Anand was in B'luru to discuss plans for 2-wheeler service centre

 Killed in the accident at the Kempapura junction in Hebbal on Thursday, 27-year-old Anand was in Bengaluru to discuss plans for setting up a new two-wheeler service centre in Chikkaballapur.

Anand left for the City from Byappanahalli village in Chikkaballapur with his friend Sumanth, but before he could materialise his dreams a speeding tanker killed him and severely injured his friend.

The news of his death shook his family, who were waiting for his return that evening.
Sitting beside his portrait, Anand’s father, a farmer, looks once at the photograph, then the house and then towards the street - completely lost. The family laments the loss of their eldest son, their sole future.

Anand is survived by father Sampangiramaiah, mother Ratnamma and brother Manjunath, who works as a driver. With them stands his whole extended family who had all shared Anand’s dreams. He was their financial backbone.

Surrounded by his grieving family, Anand’s bereaved father still questions fate, wondering what his eldest son had done to deserve this end. “He was the pillar on which this family stood. The light from our house died when he was so cruelly taken. I cannot see a way forward. Who will look after us now?” says his father.

“He had taken on the responsibility to handle the financial crisis. He had promised to take care of us all. How will we now live in peace without him?” asks Anand’s aunt Venkatalakshmamma, with tears in her eyes.

Having finished his schooling in the government school in his village, Anand completed his education at the polytechnic in Bagepalli. For several years, he worked at different companies. Finally, he decided to start his own two-wheeler service centre in Chikkaballapur.

On Thursday, he left for Bengaluru with his friend Sumanth to discuss plans for the service centre. They rode together on a two-wheeler and had stopped at the Kempapura junction as the traffic signal had turned red. That was when the speeding tanker that had run over pedestrians crossing the road behind them hit them. Anand was killed on the spot and Sumanth was severely injured. “I still cannot believe he is dead,” says Anand’s friend Vinay.