Mysuru: Over 14 years after a devastating road mishap claimed 31 lives near Undabatti Lake along National Highway 766, a Mysuru court has delivered justice. The XI Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Sanjay M Mallikarjunaiah, sentenced tempo driver Chethan Kumar from Mandya to three years and six months in prison for his role in the fatal accident.
The tragedy, which occurred on December 14, 2010, involved an overloaded tempo that veered off a curve and plunged into the lake, resulting in the death of 29 women, three minor girls, a minor boy, and a 65-year-old man. Eight passengers narrowly survived.
According to MN Sowmya, Assistant Public Prosecutor, the driver was held accountable under multiple sections of the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act. He received six months each for reckless driving and causing injuries, two years for death due to negligence, and three months each for not reporting the accident and failing to get medical help for the injured. The court directed that the sentences would run consecutively, requiring him to serve a total of 42 months in jail. Additionally, he was fined Rs 12,500.
The vehicle owner, Sanjeeva Murthy, was also found guilty under Section 192 of the MV Act for violating permit norms by allowing excess passengers. He was sentenced to one year of imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. Notably, he had been fined for similar permit violations on two prior occasions.
Read Also: