AIADMK ex-councillor Jayagopal, who was on the run in the Subhasri banner death case, has been nabbed by the Chennai police from a hideout in Krishnagiri. The police caught the absconding politician, who had put up illegal banners for his son’s wedding that led to the death of a young techie in Chennai on September 12, was caught on Friday afternoon.
Twenty-three-year-old Subhasri, a techie, was riding her scooter on Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram road in Pallikaranai, and was killed when a banner that was erected on the divider flew off and fell against her. Subhashri fell off her bike when she lost balance because of the banner, and a lorry that was behind her ran over her. Eyewitnesses told media that although the tanker lorry driver tried to brake, the incident happened so suddenly that she came under the wheels.
Following her death, investigations revealed that the illegal banner had been placed by AIADMK Councillor and Kancheepuram East MGR Mandram Assistant Secretary S Jayagopal on the occasion of his son’s wedding, despite several High Court orders against such illegal banners and hoardings in the city. Several people took to social media to speak up against the incident and the continued practice of erecting illegal hoardings and banners. Immediately after the incident, Jayagopal justified his action of putting up the banner. Soon however, he went absconding, and the police have been trying to track him down ever since.
Two cases have been filed against Jayagopal for putting up hoardings illegally, without permission from the Chennai Corporation. One case has been filed against him in the Pallikaranai police station under Section 3 of The Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959 (for placing advertisements on the road illegally) and Section 326 of the Indian Penal Code (causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means).
Though there have been several bans and court warnings, several political parties and politicians continue to erect these structures for even the smallest of events and occasions.
Earlier in November 2017, 31-year-old Ragu, a software engineer from the US who had returned to his native Coimbatore, was killed after he rammed into an illegal arch that had been put up for MGR’s Centenary celebrations.
Source: The News Minute