Hyderabad: Five occupants of a car, including a newlywed couple, died when their car rammed into a lorry stationed on the left side of the road around 5.15 am on Wednesday near the Nallagandla village bus stop. They were returning from a pilgrimage to Tirupati following the wedding that took place on February 29, the police said.
The deceased were identified as Mantri Ravinder, 53, his wife Mantri Lakshmi, 51, their son Mantri Balakiran, 23, daughter-in-law Mantri Kaviya, 21, and driver P. Ashok, 21, all residents of West Venkatapuram in Alwal.
The police said that the car was approaching at a high speed and rammed into the lorry, which was transporting watermelons, as the driver of the vehicle had got down to relieve himself in the fields.
“A villager named Narsing who was waiting for a bus heard the sound of sudden brakes and then a loud sound, and raised the alarm. Villagers got to the scene and found five persons, including two women, heavily bleeding and they informed us. The car was completely damaged,” said P. Hanmanth Naik, Allagadda police station inspector.
Naik said the victims died on the spot. The police shifted their bodies to the Allagadda Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination and handed them over to the family. Their last rites will be performed on Thursday. A case of death due to negligence under Section 304(a) of the IPC was registered.
Family members said they had spoken to the victims on Tuesday night, after their visit to the Tirumala temple.
“My elder brother’s son Balakiran, a software engineer in Sweden, married Kavya on February 29. They organised a reception at Summer Green Resort in Thumakunta on March 3 and the next day, they headed to Tirumala for darshan,” Mantri Praveen Kumar, Ravinder’s brother, said.
“On Tuesday night, my sister in-law Lakshmi called my wife and informed that they had completed darshan and would be heading to city the same night as they have to organise a ‘Padahara Pandaga’ (a wedding-related ceremony) on Wednesday evening at Balakiran’s house in Venkatapuram,” Praveen Kumar said.
Balakiran’s brother Udai Kiran said: “We are shocked and I’m still not able to believe it even after my Praveen mama told about the accident. My elder brother Bakakiran spoke to me on Tuesday late night and informed that they were on their way home, and asked us to make arrangements.”
Mantri Dayakar, Balakiran’s cousin, said Ravinder and Lakshmi had three sons, of whom Balakiran was the oldest. He left for Sweden three years ago for his postgraduation and started working there. He came to the city 20 days back to marry Kaviya, a native of Tenali in Guntur district, who was also an engineer. Ravinder owned a grocery shop near the Venkatapuram bus stop in Alwal while Lakshmi used to run a saree business.
“My uncle Ravinder, aunt Lakshmi and specially the just wed couple Balakiran and Kavya were very happy. Balakiran had booked tickets for March 18 as the couple had planned to settle in Sweden. Balakiran had asked his friends in Sweden to decorate his apartment as well,” Dayakar said.
