Bike rider killed; but questions remain

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an incident likely to cause an uproar, an employee with the Doordarshan Kendra here died in a suspicious road accident on Saturday night at Toll Junction, near Kowdiar. M R Pradeep, 46, a native of Kuttichal, was killed in a road accident when he was returning home. According to the police, Pradeep, who riding his bike, was hit from behind by another vehicle when he was attempting to take a U-turn near Toll Junction. The mishap occurred around 9 pm. At that time, it is said that a head constable and a home guard were controlling the traffic in that area. But the police version appeared unpalatable as witnesses said that they had not seen any vehicle hitting the bike. Besides, allegations have already begun popping up holding the police responsible for the mishap. According to the witnesses, the police on duty had tried to catch the bike rider when he tried to evade the officers who were on night patrol. In the subsequent scuffle, the bike rider lost his balance and fell from the bike. They also said that instead of alerting the ‘108’ ambulance service, the critically injured person was taken to the Medical College Hospital in a police vehicle. Pradeep, who was seriously injured in the accident, succumbed to his injuries around 1.30 pm.