Jethruth recalled her neighbour Jolly Abraham had been wearing something new when she left the house for work on Monday. A few hours later, she heard that Jolly and her husband had met with an accident.
“When we went to the hospital, we were told that it was her birthday,” Jethruth said. Jolly Abraham had died on the spot, Kammanahalli Main road, less than half a kilometre away from their house. She was riding pillion behind her husband who rode into a pothole left unrepaired by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board since May.
Jolly’s husband, Abraham, who denied rash driving, regretted that Jolly was not wearing a helmet. It was the first day of work after the summer holidays at a playschool in the area where Jolly worked.
“She was not wearing a helmet as the school was just around the block, about a 5-minute bike ride away,” said Abraham, who has been booked for negligent driving by the Banaswadi traffic police.
“It all happened suddenly. I was riding at a normal slow speed occasionally trying to avoid the potholes. But, somehow I could not manoeuvre the bike at that spot and we fell. She hit her head and we rushed her to the ZION hospital where to my shock they declared her brought dead. My 17-year-old son has been a source of strength to both my daughter Anju and me. My daughter is shocked and has been inconsolable,” said Abraham adding that the BWSSB should be held responsible for not doing their duty.
Ahmed, who owns a grocery shop near the accident spot, said that the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board had dug the spot to lay pipelines and had covered it up with mud a week ago.
“Because of the rains and too many vehicles riding over it, the patchwork had come loose. They should have covered it with cement in the beginning itself. Every second day a minor accident occurs at this spot. Looks like the authorities will act only if someone dies,” said Ahmed.
Since the accident, the BWSSB has done more patchwork by covering up the large pothole with stones and cement.
Although a case of negligence has been booked against the engineers in charge of that particular area, the Banaswadi traffic police are yet to arrest them. Srinivasa the sub-inspector said that the police are investigating the case the engineers would be called for questioning soon.