Belthangady mishap: Accused car driver arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Updated Report

Belthangady, Nov 21, 2013: The Belthangady police have arrested the driver of the Bolero car which was involved in an accident on November 20, Wednesday morning, wherein a bike rider was killed on the spot.

The car driver Balakrishna Poojari has been charged with murder. A case has also been booked against him for rash driving.

He was arrested on Wednesday evening itself. It may be recalled here that bike rider Dinesh Gowda (23) had died on the spot when the Bolero car which Poojari was driving knocked him down fatally.

The accident had also sparked protests wherein hundreds of locals who gathered at the spot of the accident had demanded action against the Bolero driver blaming him for the accident. The car was also stoned by the angry public.

It is learnt, the car driver has been booked based on a complaint by Siddappa Gowda of Koyyur. Sources also say that the deceased bike rider was a close acquaintance of Mahesh Shetty Timarody, President of the Prajaprabhutva Vedike.

 

 

 

 

Earlier report:

Belthangady: Death of young bike rider in road mishap sparks protest

Belthangady, Nov 20, 2013: A road accident that led to the death of a young bike rider sparked outrageous protests by locals at a place called Nekkilu near Belthangady on November 20, Wednesday morning.

A youth named Dinesh Gowda (23) who was riding a bike, was killed on the spot when his two-wheeler was knocked down by a Bolero  vehicle driven by Balakrishna Poojari who worked in the Agriculture Department in Belthangady.

 

Hundreds of people who gathered at the scene of the  mishap, blamed Balakrishna Poojari for the mishap. They   were also sore over him for escaping from the place instead of rushing to the help of the bike rider. The public damaged the Bolero vehicle and did not allow the police to remove the body and shift it to an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, they pelted stones at it too and demanded that they will not budge until the Bolero driver as well as the higher police authorities arrived.

Belthangady Legislator Vasanth Bangera and Prajaprabhutva Vedike President Mahesh Shetty Timarody too  rushed to the place to pacify the agitators but of no avail. Finally, police from Belthangady, Dharmasthala, Venur and other places who arrived, had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The body was later shifted to Wenlock Hospital.

The deceased youth was the son of Babi Gowda and worked as a mason. He was on way to his workplace at Nala when the mishap took place.  Babi Gowda had lost her another son in a case of drowning a few years ago and now the death of Dinesh has left the family aghast. Dinesh also has a  sister who is married.

Belthangady police have registered a case.