A 48-year-old homemaker was killed and her 58-year-old husband critically injured after a speeding SUV driven by Kannada film actor Nagabhushan N.S., rammed into them on Vasanthapura main road on the night of September 30 at around 9.45 p.m.
The couple were on their evening walk when the accident happened. The actor was driving his car from Uttarahalli towards Konanakunte Cross. He lost control of the vehicle and knocked down the couple before crashing into an electric pole.
The severely injured Prema and Krishna B. were rushed to a private hospital. While Prema succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital, her husband Krishna is being treated in the intensive care unit. He continues to be critical.
The Kumaraswamy Layout traffic police rushed to the spot, arrested the actor, and seized the car for further investigation. Sources said while an alcometer test cleared him, police had sent his blood samples for test, the results of which are awaited.
Sources said the actor claimed he was trying to avoid hitting a stray calf on the road and took a sharp turn, hitting the couple. However, senior officials said though there was a calf nearby, it was away and not in the line of the SUV.
“Prima facie, it looks like he was driving in a rash and negligent manner and was speeding. There was a speed breaker at the junction, but since he was speeding, he seemed to have lost control of the vehicle,” said Shivaprakash Devaraju, DCP (Traffic - South). He has been booked under Section 279 (rash and negligent driving endangering human life) and 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. The actor was released on station bail after he executed a surety bond.
Mr. Nagabhushan is known for his recent comic roles in Kannada films. He made his debut with the film Badmaash in 2016, after a short, successful stint on YouTube with a comedy channel Karnataka Entertainment Board. Since then, he has emerged as one of the leading comedy actors in films. He started in a lead role in the film Ikkat, which was a success. He also wrote and starred in a Kannada-Telugu web-series Honeymoon.
