Public outrage erupts over a video of a road accident

Tirupati: A tragic road accident near Empedu on Yerpedu-Venkatagiri highway on Sunday night resulted in the death of 42-year-old Swapna, a school owner from Tirupati and injured her husband Kiran Kumar, who is an advocate. Public outrage has erupted after a video surfaced on Tuesday, allegedly showing a police vehicle fleeing the scene without stopping to provide assistance.

Witnesses reported that Swapna and Kiran had stopped on the highway to check on an earlier accident when they were hit by a speeding police vehicle, reportedly driven by SI Jilani. The impact hurled Swapna several feet away, while Kiran sustained injuries, including a fractured hand. Swapna was pronounced dead upon arrival at Venkatagiri government hospital.Suresh, a bystander, who transported the injured couple for medical aid, recorded a video that appears to challenge the official version of events. The footage shows the police vehicle speeding away immediately after the accident, without stopping.

Suresh has accused the police vehicle of driving some distance from the accident site before fleeing completely. He has lodged a complaint with Srikalahasti rural police.

Contradictory statements have emerged from the police. CI Ajay Kumar claimed, "The police vehicle was driven by driver Raja Sekhar, with SI Jilani in the passenger seat. They stopped after the accident to assist the victims," questioning the possibility of the video being recorded if the vehicle had fled.

Calls for accountability and strict action against those responsible are intensifying from Swapna's grieving family, including her two children and High Court advocate N Raja Reddy. The emerging video evidence, which seems to contradict official accounts, raises concerns about a potential cover-up in this incident.