A luxury car driven by Beeda Madhuri, daughter of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Rajya Sabha MP Beeda Masthan Rao, allegedly ran over a man sleeping on a pavement in Besant Nagar's Kalakshetra Colony on Monday night, resulting in his death. The victim, identified as 22-year-old Surya from Odai Kuppam, Besant Nagar, was a painter. He was sleeping on the pavement on Varadaraj Salai when the car hit him. Passersby rushed the severely injured Surya to the Royapettah Government Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The police confirmed that two women were in the car during the incident. Following the accident, a video surfaced showing one of the women arguing with a crowd, which went viral.
Amid accusations of police inaction, despite having CCTV footage of the accident showing the driver's face and the car's registration number, Chennai's Adyar Traffic Police arrested Beeda Madhuri on Tuesday for causing death by negligence and other traffic violations. However, she was released on station bail shortly after her arrest.
"He was sleeping on a pavement in Besant Nagar on Monday night, and a luxury car with a woman behind the wheel ran over him, killing him," a senior police official said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Incident details
The incident occurred less than a month after a similar case in Pune, where a teen driver in a Porsche killed two young software professionals. According to the Chennai police, Madhuri's speeding BMW ran over Surya, who was sleeping on the pavement. Both Madhuri and a female companion fled the scene immediately after the accident.
Police investigation
The Adyar Traffic Investigation Wing registered a case under Section 304A of the IPC (causing death by negligence), a bailable offence. The police issued a summons to the car owner. CCTV footage identified the car as belonging to the BMR (Beeda Masthan Rao) Group, registered in Puducherry. Madhuri was tracked down through the phone number used to call for an ambulance.
Public reaction
Surya's relatives and neighbours gathered at the J-5 Shastri Nagar Police Station, demanding justice. A video surfaced showing Madhuri’s friend arguing with locals, claiming they had called an ambulance for Surya.
Political background
Beeda Masthan Rao, who became a Rajya Sabha MP in 2022 and has previously served as an MLA, is associated with the BMR Group, a prominent seafood industry name.
Another tragic incident in Pune
In a separate incident in Pune, a 41-year-old delivery man, Kedar Chavan, was killed after his motorcycle skidded, and a Mercedes-Benz ran him over. The car, owned by a doctor, was driven by his driver at the time of the accident.
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