Did K'taka Minister's Son Kill 2 in Bellary Accident? No, Say Police Amid Allegations of Cover-Up

Bengaluru: Days after two VIPs drove their high-end cars into people and property in Bengaluru, another suspected case of rash driving has come to light in north Karnataka’s Bellary district, where revenue minister R Ashoka's son Sharath has been accused of causing the death of two people.

Sharath was allegedly driving his Mercedes rashly, resulting in the accident.

The allegations have been hotly contested by the police and the minister himself, amid rising speculation of a massive cover-up to protect Sharath Ashoka. The FIR contains the names of the car’s occupants, and this list does not include him. Ashoka distanced himself from the vehicle, a bright red Mercedes Benz, and he said he has nothing to do with the case.

"I heard about the accident in which two were killed. The law is the same for all, I don’t want to talk any more about it since it is in investigation stage. The FIR does not mention my son's name. It would not be good for a minister to comment at this stage. Those in the wrong must be punished," he told reporters in Bengaluru, while avoiding questions on the whereabouts of his son.

The car is registered in the name of National Public School, Kengeri, which is a franchise school run by members of his family. The was returning from world heritage site Hampi.

Ashoka, however, said, "I have no connection with the car, I have connection with the institution that's there."

Among the two victims of the alleged accident were 19-year-old Ravi Naik, a local resident who was near the highway on Monday afternoon, when the car reportedly hit him. The other victim was reportedly an occupant of the car, 27-year-old Sachin, who is a Bangalorean. He died on his way to the hospital.

Dr Mahantesh of the Hospet taluk hospital told mediapersons that there were five people in the car. "Sachin was brought dead, while another occupant, Rakesh, had fractures on his spine. We did an MRI scan and sent him to Bangalore the next morning for further treatment."

“Sachin's post-mortem was done the same night (on February 10) around 1:30am as we had received a message saying he was a 'known person to minister Ashoka’. So we completed the formalities overnight and sent,” the doctor added.

Another occupant, Rahul, is named 'Accused #1' in the FIR.

Ravi Naik's father Parashuram Naik, an agricultural labourer, said he is too shocked to react.

"We are poor people. If we work today, we get money to eat. That's our existence. When politicians are involved, they do whatever is their whim. No one cares for us," he told newspersons.

Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said he was not aware of the details and, hence, would not comment.

The Congress took to social media to say there is a huge conspiracy to protect Ashoka's son in the Bellary accident. "Police giving clean chit to him even before any investigation raises eyebrows. An innocent man, killed because of reckless driving by a minister's son, should get justice. Police should conduct a thorough investigation,” the party tweeted.

Just over the last weekend, the son of a prominent businessman and owner of an amusement park, rammed his Lamborghini into a police chowki in the heart of Bengaluru while trying to race his friends.

In another incident, Mohammad Nalapad, the son of Congress MLA NA Haris, allegedly rammed his Bentley car into an auto-rickshaw and a two-wheeler near a busy traffic intersection en route the Bengaluru airport.