A 30-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore was hit by a truck when she was allegedly trying to avoid a flagpole of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK). She was riding a scooter on a highway in the city when the incident happened.
Anuradha Rajeswari was on her way to work on Monday morning when the flagpole fell in her path. While trying to avoid the flagpole, she fell on the road and the front wheels of a truck, which was behind her, ran over her legs. Rajeswari was admitted to a local hospital and has suffered severe injuries on both her legs. The same truck also hit another man who was riding a motorcycle.
“Rajeswari underwent a seven-hour surgery on Monday and is currently on 48-hour observation,” her family said. She has suffered fracture on one leg and nerves of the other leg were cut.
The woman’s family alleged that AIADMK hoarding was put up on Avinasi Highway owing to Chief Minister E Palaniswami’s visit. “The police are covering it up,” Sivan, Rajeswari’s uncle, was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The police have registered an FIR against the truck driver. “The driver has confessed that he was speeding as his owner had asked him to come fast. The flagpoles were erected on the sandy side of the road. There is no way they could have reached the right lane of the highway. We have filed a case only against the truck driver,” a police officer was quoted by the media.
However, according to a report by The News Minute, the AIADMK flagpoles were erected after obtaining permission from the police.
In September, 23-year-old Subhasri lost her life after a flex banner erected by AIADMK fell on the two-wheeler she was riding. The woman who fell on the road was run over by a water tanker. The hoarding was put up by AIADMK councillor Jayagopal for his son’s wedding, without obtaining permission from corporation authorities. The High Court granted conditional bail to Jayagopal on Monday, November 11.
Subhasri’s death had led to statewide protests following which the court had ordered to remove all illegal hoardings. The AIADMK and the DMK had also given an undertaking in the court to prevent party members from erecting hoardings that would cause a public nuisance.
In 2017, a 32-year-old had also died after crashing into an illegal hoarding that was put up for MGR Centenary celebrations.
Also Read: Illegal Hoarding Kills Chennai Techie; ‘We Have Lost Faith In AIADMK Govt’, Says Madras HC
