In a heartbreaking incident in Bidar district’s Ghodampalli village, two people lost their lives and five others sustained injuries after their vehicle plunged into an open roadside well on Wednesday night. The tragedy deepened hours later when the 86-year-old mother of one of the deceased died of a heart attack upon hearing the news.
The accident occurred around 9:30 PM as a Tata mini goods vehicle, driven by Laxmikant Kantu Maharaj (45), was heading from Bidar to Ghodampalli via Chitta. “The vehicle was carrying six passengers. Due to over-speeding and rash driving, it veered off the road near the fields of Nazeer Miya and fell into an open well,” said Circle Inspector Anand Rao SN Nimbargi.
Laxmikant and 18-year-old Ravi died on the spot. The other passengers — Arjun (16), Prajwal (15), Pavan (18), Manik Ambbanor, and Sangamesh (18) — were rushed to a private hospital in Bidar and are currently undergoing treatment.
Shortly after the incident, Laxmikant’s mother, Sharadabai Maharaj, reportedly succumbed to a heart attack.
Following a complaint by survivor Manik Ambbanor, police registered a case under Sections 106, 125(a)(b), and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Bidar South BJP MLA Shailendra Beldale, who attended the funerals on Thursday, pledged safety reviews and compensation for the victims’ families. Former MLA Ashok Kheny criticised the administration for ignoring open well hazards, demanding swift government action.