A month after the tragic Pune Porsche car accident, another high-profile hit-and-run case involving the daughter of a Rajya Sabha MP has come to light in Chennai. The incident, which has drawn widespread attention, involves Madhuri, the daughter of YSR Congress Party Rajya Sabha MP Beeda Masthan Rao, who allegedly ran her BMW over a man sleeping on a pavement in the Tamil Nadu capital.
According to reports from NDTV, the victim, identified as 24-year-old painter Surya, succumbed to his injuries. Madhuri, who was driving with a female friend, fled the scene immediately after the accident, leaving her friend to argue with the gathering crowd. Surya, who was reportedly intoxicated and sleeping on the pavement in the Besant Nagar area of Chennai, was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital but tragically passed away.
The incident has sparked outrage among Surya’s relatives and neighbors, who gathered at the J-5 Shastri Nagar Police Station demanding justice. Investigations revealed that the BMW involved in the accident was registered in Puducherry and belonged to the BMR (Beeda Masthan Rao) Group. Madhuri was subsequently arrested but granted bail at the police station.
Beeda Masthan Rao, Madhuri’s father, is a prominent figure in the seafood industry. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2022 and has previously served as an MLA. The BMR Group, associated with him, is a well-known entity in the seafood industry.
Meanwhile, the Pune Porsche case, which occurred on May 19, continues to be a subject of public scrutiny. The accident, which resulted in the deaths of two IT professionals in Kalyani Nagar, involved a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated state.
The case sparked nationwide outrage when L N Danwade, a member of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), granted the accused bail on remarkably lenient terms. These terms included the requirement to write a 300-word essay on road safety, drawing widespread criticism for being insufficiently stringent.
A subsequent investigation by a five-member committee uncovered glaring lapses and mistakes in the JJB’s decision to grant bail. The committee’s 125-page report, submitted to the Women and Child Development department commissioner, highlighted instances of misconduct and non-compliance with established norms by two JJB members.
The report revealed that while one JJB member issued the bail order, another member gave consent the next day instead of reviewing the order. Both members have been issued show cause notices for their actions.
Despite police requests to treat the accused as an adult given his age of 17 years and eight months, the JJB ultimately chose to merely acknowledge the plea, marking it as “seen and filed.”
Both the Chennai hit-and-run case and the Pune Porsche accident case underscore the importance of strict enforcement of road safety regulations and the need for accountability for those involved in such accidents. The public outcry surrounding these incidents highlights the growing concerns about the safety of pedestrians and the potential for lenient treatment of individuals responsible for fatal accidents.
