A 55-year-old woman was killed on the spot in Coimbatore on Friday after a police bus hit her. CCTV footage shows the woman, identified as Kala, walking around a police bus parked on the side of the road. Initially stationary, the bus suddenly starts moving. Realising that the vehicle behind her was moving, Kala starts to walk faster. But the vehicle speeds up in a matter of seconds, mowing her down before coming to a halt immediately.
Kala was on her way to work around 8 am on Friday when the incident happened. She lived with her husband in Perur and worked in a snack shop on Range Gounder Street.
The incident happened on the city's busy Raja Street. The city was gearing up for the Vinayagar Chathurthi procession in which thousands are expected to participate later during the day.
According to the police, many police vehicles were in the vicinity due to the deployment of police personnel across the city for the Vinayagar Chathurthi procession. “It was an accident. Policemen were being positioned all across the city to prevent untowardly incidents during the procession. Arrangements were being made since morning,” a police officer told TNM.
The Big Bazaar Street police were immediately alerted and they rushed to the spot and recovered Kala's body from under the vehicle. Later the body was sent to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for autopsy.
The police also registered an FIR against Raghu Kumar, the driver of the vehicle, under sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC. “Raghu Kumar has been arrested and will be produced before a magistrate for remand,” the officer said.