Date:21/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/21/stories/2005112110180100.htm

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Four killed as police jeep falls into ditch

Staff Reporter

MANGLED REMAINS: The police jeep that met with an accident at Varyapuram, near Pathanamthitta, killing four persons on Sunday.

PATHANAMTHITTA: Three police personnel, including a woman constable, attached to the Pathanamthitta police station and an accused were killed when the police jeep carrying them plunged into a 15-ft ditch after colliding with a private bus at Varyapuram on Kozhencherry-Pathanamthitta Road on Sunday.

The deceased have been identified as the jeep driver Viswambharan (45) of Vettoor Mampulickal House in Pathanamthitta; police constable Samkutty (38) of Kollam Sooranad Chakkuvally Puthumana House; woman constable G. Lata (33) of Ezhukone Karuvely Vazhuvelipparambil House in Kollam district; and Sasidharan (48) of Muttathukonam Lins Nivas, near Elavumthitta, an accused in an accident case registered at the Pathanamthitta police station two years ago.

Another woman constable, Roshan Mathew (30) of Vechoochira, near Ranni, who was injured has been admitted to Kottayam Medical College Hospital. The jeep plunged into the ditch after colliding with the speeding bus at a sharp turn at Varyapuram, killing three persons on the spot. The jeep driver who was thrown out of the vehicle in the impact of the collision breathed his last on the way to hospital.

The police jeep was reportedly taking Sasidharan, who was arrested on Sunday morning in connection with the accident case, to a Magistrate in Thiruvalla.

The post-mortem examination of the three bodies was done at the General Hospital here.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is expected to visit Pathanamthitta General Hospital late night to pay homage to the deceased.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adoor Prakash; District Collector A.J. Rajan; Superintendent of Police T.P. Rajagopal; Additional Superintendent of Police Sidhartha Sashni; and Chengannur Dy.SP T. Gopalakrishna Pillai, were among those who visited the spot.

The bodies of Latha, who had joined service in July, and another person were taken out of the mangled vehicle by the local people.

Sasidharan, an auto driver, had been working in the Gulf for the past two years. Sasidharan was to return to Gulf on November 30. A hartal has been called in the town from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday as a mark of respect to the deceased.