A 21-year-old Bangalore University student who was run over by a state-run bus inside the campus on October 11 succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, October 23. According to eyewitnesses, Shilpashree was trying to board the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus when the driver allegedly failed to notice her and moved ahead, causing her to come under the vehicle’s wheels. She was in a medically induced coma and had undergone several surgeries.
Shilpashree was a first-year MSc student at the university. After the accident, the driver and conductor fled the spot leaving behind the bus. The Jnanabharati police later detained the driver on charges of negligence. BMTC was paying for Shilpashree’s medical care.
Following the incident, Bangalore University students had launched a protest demanding a ban on the movement of vehicles in the campus. After meeting with the university’s Vice Chancellor Dr Jayakara SM and senior police officers on October 12, the students had ended their protest. The discussion about safety measures to be implemented on campus to prevent such mishaps lasted almost three hours.
Earlier, VC Dr Jayakara had said, “We have conducted a discussion with all stakeholders concerning the tragedy that occurred on the campus and how this might be averted in the future. We were talking about short, medium, and long-term measures. We’re going to install roadblocks and speed humps on campus to instantly control vehicle speeds.” He added that efforts are being made by the institution to frequently monitor the traffic situation on campus.