Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has firmly rejected allegations by the BJP that a college student’s tragic death in a road accident in Bengaluru was caused by potholes, calling the accusation baseless and politically motivated.
The controversy erupted after 22-year-old Dhanashree, a final-year BCom student, lost her life on Monday morning near Budigere Cross when a tipper truck ran over her as she attempted to avoid a pothole in East Bengaluru.
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Responding to BJP’s criticism, Shivakumar on Tuesday said, “It is all false. They are only spreading a hoax. Because of them (the saffron party), all this has been created,” according to a report by new agency PTI.
The BJP, however, seized on the incident to accuse the ruling Congress government of negligence, claiming that over half of Karnataka’s roads are unsafe, including in the capital city.
ALSO READ | Bengaluru college student, 22, killed by tipper lorry while avoiding pothole near Budigere Cross: Report
{{/usCountry}}ALSO READ | Bengaluru college student, 22, killed by tipper lorry while avoiding pothole near Budigere Cross: Report
{{/usCountry}}Taking to social media, the party’s Karnataka unit posted: “It is unfortunate that a student has lost her life because of a pothole on the roads of Silicon City. The roads of Bengaluru, which were supposed to facilitate smooth traffic, are instead endangering the lives of commuters every day. This exposes the poor performance of DK Shivakumar.”
What the police said
According to police reports, the accident occurred around 8:10am as Dhanashree was commuting from Byappanahalli to her college in KR Puram. A senior officer involved in the case said initial findings suggest a tipper truck struck her from behind, leading to her instant death.
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Though some bystanders claimed she may have swerved to avoid a pothole, police stated that the stretch where the crash occurred was relatively well-maintained, although potholes were noted on the opposite side of the road. Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage to determine the exact sequence of events.
Meanwhile, the truck driver fled the scene and a manhunt is underway to locate and arrest him.
(With inputs from PTI)