The driver and owner of the tempo, which fell into the Undabatti lake on the Mysuru-Nanjangud road, claiming a total of 31 lives in December 2010, were convicted by a court in Mysuru on Friday.
The driver Chethan, who is the prime accused, has been sentenced to three years and six months in jail and was slapped with a penalty of ₹12,600. The owner of the vehicle, Sanjeev, has been sentenced to one year in jail with a penalty of ₹10,000.
Assistant public prosecutor M.N. Sowmya said the 11th Additional CJ and JMFC court judge Sanjay M. Mallikarjunaiah found Chethan guilty of offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act, and Sanjeev was found guilty of offences punishable under 192-A of the Motor Vehicles Act.
According to Ms. Sowmya, the tempo was carrying about 40 passengers, which is beyond the maximum passengers permitted in the vehicle, and was driven in a rash and negligent manner towards Mysuru from Nanjangud around 5 p.m. on December 14, 2010.
The vehicle fell into the lake, leading to the death of 31 people and injuries to a few others. The deceased included four minors, 26 women, and one man, according to Ms. Sowmya.
The driver absconded and abandoned the vehicle without informing the police. The accused had repeatedly violated the vehicle permit conditions and carried more passengers than the maximum permitted limit.
The case was registered in the Mysuru South police station, and Deputy Superintendent of Police C.D. Jagadish had conducted an investigation and submitted the chargesheet.
Published – April 25, 2025 08:42 pm IST
