BMTC bus mows down visually challenged woman

Reckless driving by a BMTC bus driver claimed the life of a visually challenged woman in Madiwala on Sunday.

The victim is 23-year-old Prameela, a native of Doddabiranahalli in Chikmagalur district. She was staying in a hostel for visually challenged people in Shivajinagar. Prameela’s relative Vikas and friend Shruthi were also injured in the accident.

Prameela had come to Hongasandra to visit her uncle for the first time. Vikas, 12, had gone to Shivajinagar to pick her up, when her friend Shruthi decided to accompany the duo.

After visiting her uncle, Prameela and Shruthi were escorted by him and Vikas till the Hosur Main Road. The police say her uncle was standing a few feet away from the rest of the group when the accident occurred.

According to T Saravana, an eyewitness: “We spotted a speeding BMTC bus on Hosur Main Road. We stopped at RNS Motors as we wanted to cross over to the other side of the road after the bus went past us. The driver lost control over the bus and hit the trio, while I managed to escape by jumping to the other end. Prameela was tossed up in the air. Shruthi and Vikas were thrown sideways.”

Shruthi sustained injuries on her head and leg and her condition is said to be critical. She is being treated at a private hospital. Vikas is said to be out of danger. A crowd soon gathered at the scene and tried to manhandle the bus driver. However, police who reached the spot on time were able to bring the situation under control.

Four held for robbery

The Yelahanka police have arrested four persons on the charge of robbery and recovered stolen ornaments worth Rs 9 lakh from them. The arrested are Shabharish, 22, a resident of Kogilu village, Jaffar, 31, Renuka, 36, and Seema, 31, all from Bhadravati.

According to police, the suspects operated as a team and targeted people at bus stands and public places. They would identify men wearing ornaments and introduce themselves under some pretext and collect their mobile phone numbers.

They would contact them later and lure them into meeting at desolate places, where they would threaten them with weapons and rob them of their valuables. They were also involved in many chain-snatching incidents.

A group which worked on similar lines was taken into custody by the Yelahanka police. Valuables worth Rs two lakh and three cellphones have been recovered.
The arrested are Soumya, 26, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, Guruprasad, 28, from Laggere and Manjula, 24, of Kyatasandra.

Man held for theft

Chikkajala police arrested Nanjundaiah, 34, a resident of Laggere, on the charge of theft and recovered stolen ornaments worth Rs 16 lakh from him.

According to police, the suspect would identify “gullible” passengers at bus stands and rob them of their valuables. He recently robbed a bag of ornaments from a mother-daughter duo, while they were distracted.

He then pawned the ornaments at several jewellery shops across the City and borrowed money, police said.

The police recovered 550 gm of ornaments which he had stolen.