BJP worker dies in accident involving Bangalore North candidate Shobha Karandlaje's SUV

An elderly man tragically died in Bengaluru after being hit by the door of a parked SUV belonging to Shobha Karandlaje. The incident occurred near Krishnarajapura's Ganesha temple around 12.30 pm on Monday. The victim, identified as Prakash, 62, was riding his scooter when he was struck. The impact caused him to fall under the wheels of a passing private bus, resulting in his death en route to a nearby hospital.

Bengaluru: An elderly man died in an accident involving Bengaluru North constituency candidate Shobha Karandlaje’s SUV in the eastern part of the city on Monday afternoon. Police have registered an FIR against two people in relation to the case.

The accident occurred near Krishnarajapura’s Ganesha temple around 12.30 pm. Shobha’s driver, who had parked the Toyota Fortuner on the left side of the road, abruptly opened the door, hitting an elderly man who was riding his scooter down the road.

K R Puram traffic police identified the victim as Prakash, 62, a resident of T C Palya. He was reportedly a BJP party worker.

The impact of the crash sent Prakash sprawling and under the wheels of a speeding private bus behind him. The bus ran over him, and he died on the way to a nearby hospital, police sources said.

Shobha had arrived in the neighbourhood to canvas ahead of the elections. “We know she travels in the car but she wasn’t inside it when the accident occurred – only the driver was inside. We are checking the ownership details of the vehicle to know who else will be named in the case,” a senior police officer overseeing the case said.

Police are investigating both drivers’ negligence, noting that prima facie, the fault lay on the car driver’s part. They have filed a case against Shobha’s driver for parking dangerously on the side of the road and against the bus driver for rash and negligent driving and causing death by negligence, as per relevant sections of the IPC. Further details of Prakash’s death will emerge after the post-mortem, they added.

Shobha Karandlaje, who visited Prakash at the hospital, called him a “loyal party worker” and expressed regret at the accident. “Prakash was our most loyal worker, working with us 24 hours every day. His death has saddened us all. Whatever compensation has to be given to his family, we will do that from our party’s side,” she told press persons on Monday.