Cantonment MLA Lasya Nandita dies in road accident on ORR

Hyderabad: BRS Secunderabad Cantonment legislator Gnani Lasya Nanditha, daughter of the late five-time legislator G. Sayanna, died on Friday morning when her car, driven by her personal assistant, hit the iron railing on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Sultanbad, Patancheru police said. It was suspected that the car hit an unidentified vehicle before crashing into the barrier.

Nanditha, 36, was travelling towards Sangareddy after setting out to reportedly have breakfast. She was sitting in the front passenger seat, and was wearing her seat belt. She is survived by her mother G. Geeta and sisters Namrata and Nivedita. Nanditha was elected to the Assembly in the recent elections from the constituency of her father Sayanna. She had observed her father’s death anniversary on February 19.

Her family held her funeral held later in the evening with state honours at the East Marredpally cremation ground, where her father's final rites had been performed last year.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who called on the bereaved family in the evening, had earlier in the day directed Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari to accord government honours to the MLA. BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also visited Nanditha's.

Expressing his grief, Revanth Reddy recalled his close association with Sayanna. Her father had been denied state honours by the then BRS government.

Police said Nanditha was not accompanied by her personnel security officers (PSOs) and the car was being driven by her personal assistant Akash. He suffered fractures in both legs was undergoing treatment at a hospital, police said, adding that the front portion of the vehicle was damaged.

Sangareddy superintendent of police Chennuri Rupesh said Nanditha along with her family members had returned to Hyderabad on Thursday night after visiting the Miskin Shah Baba Dargah in Aroor village of Sadashivpet mandal in two cars.

At about 5.10 am on Friday, she left the family home in Karkhana, Secunderabad, in her car (TS-09-GG-T/R-1955) with personal assistant Akash, telling her family that she was going out to have breakfast. They entered the ORR at Shamirpet and were driving towards Sangareddy after crossing the Sultanpur toll plaza when the accident occurred, Rupesh said.

“Akash suddenly fell asleep due to which he lost control of the vehicle and hit the barrier on the left side of the ORR," the SP said. It was suspected that the car may have hit another vehicle before the accident, and police were investigating this claim.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Nanditha died on the spot. She was shifted in an ambulance to the Gandhi Hospital where an autopsy was conducted in the presence of forensic doctors. The body was later released to the family. Akash was taken to a private hospital in Madinaguda.

"Lasya's sister Nivedita lodged a complaint with the police in connection with the accident. Based on the complaint, a case of death caused by negligent driving was registered against Akash,” Rupesh said.

The police tried to record Akash’s statement in connection with the mishap. He did not tell the police why they had left without her personal security officers, and why they went towards the ORR if she wanted to have breakfast.

BJP leaders demanded the government to conduct a thorough probe into the road mishap.

On February 13, Nanditha’s car was involved in an accident while returning to Hyderabad after attending a public meeting organised by the BRS at Nalgonda. Another car on the highway had hit a Home Guard, B. Kishore, who came under the wheels of Nanditha’s car and died. Nanditha, who was not at the wheel, sustained injuries.