Bengaluru civic body truck driver, thrashed after boy’s death, dies in hospital weeks later: Report

A group of nearly 15 people pulled the driver from the truck and assaulted him in Bengaluru's Thanisandra after the accident.

A BBMP garbage truck driver, who was brutally assaulted by a mob after his vehicle fatally knocked down an eight-year-old boy, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, according to the Sampigehalli police.

The driver, identified as 59-year-old Kondaiah, had been under treatment at a hospital since March 29.

According to a Deccan Herald report, the driver, identified as 59-year-old Kondaiah, had been under treatment at a hospital since March 29, the day the accident took place on Thanisandra Main Road in North Bengaluru. Despite medical efforts, he failed to recover.

The tragic incident unfolded when Ayman, the young victim, was riding pillion on his father's two-wheeler. As they were navigating the busy stretch of Thanisandra Main Road around noon, Kondaiah’s garbage truck, reportedly speeding, collided with the bike. Ayman fell onto the road and was run over by the truck, dying on the spot.

Eyewitnesses told police that following the crash, a group of nearly 15 people pulled Kondaiah from the truck and assaulted him. In a fit of rage, they also set the vehicle ablaze by pouring petrol over it, the DH report added.

Kondaiah was left with serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. His death has now turned the assault into a more serious offence under the law.

The Sampigehalli police have taken up the case and confirmed that four individuals from the mob have been arrested so far. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend others involved in the violence.