After the tragic death of three members of a family of three generations in a road accident caused by a youngster in an inebriated condition, the residents of Hyderabad were up in arms against the growing menace of drunken driving.
20-year-old Shravil, who was driving a car on Road No. 3 Banjara Hills in drunk condition on July 1, lost control over his vehicle and crushed another car in which a nine-year-old school student Ramya and five members of her family were travelling. It was Ramya’s first day in the new school and she was returning home with mother and other family members fully excited.
While Ramya’s uncle 35-year-old Ramesh, who was driving the car died on the spot, Ramya died after spending a week on a life support system in a hospital. Her grand father P Madhusudhana Chary succumbed to his injuries and multiple organ failure on Monday drowning the city in deep mourning over a shattering tragedy.
Another uncle of Ramya was till under treatment in a hospital while the shocked mother was under going physiotherapy at home.
It was obvious that their physical injuries may heal but they will not be able to recover from the huge loss they have suffered in terms of death of three family members. Their shock and anger was there for all to see when they refused to perform the last rites of the elderly family member demanding stringent punishment to the guilty.
It took intervention by a state minister T Srinivas Yadav to persuade the family to cremate the grand father with an assurance that the Government will take action.
K Shravil, a B.Tech student, who was driving the car without license and in drunken condition has been arrested and the State Government has also suspended the license of the TGIF Bar in Banjara Hills area for serving the liquor to young boys which was prohibited.
P Radhika, mother of Ramya has demanded death penalty to the person who caused this horrendous tragedy. “What is the point of giving a jail sentence. After serving his term he will be back on the roads. Such people should be hanged so that they become an example and don’t harm others in the future”, an angry Radhikha shouted outside the hospital where her father in law expired.
Citizens were very angry with the authorities for not only making it possible for the young boys to drink during the day but also drive rashly on the roads even without license.
“It is an unacceptable situation. But I don’t expect any drastic change as the government itself is encouraging people to drinking as much as possible for the sake of revenue”, said Radha Krishna Murthy, a friend of the victim Chary. “it is frightening. See how many people are dying on the roads every day”.