The distraught parents of 23-year-old Subhasri broke their silence on Sunday, to point out that their daughter's death was no mere accident. Lines of anger clearly etched on their faces, her parents stated that their bright child's life was extinguished by a mere banner – and that if it was not for the banner, the lorry would never have run over Subhasri.
Speaking to the media shortly after MNM chief Kamal Haasan visited them to condole their daughter's death, Subhasri's parents demanded action against those responsible for the banner's presence on the Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram road. CCTV footage from the incident shows the banner flying in the wind and falling right in front of the young woman, completely cutting off her view of the road. She then falls in front of a lorry, which then runs over her.
"My child was following traffic rules. She wore a helmet and was riding at the correct speed. The reason for her death is the banner. It was not an accident (her death). The accident itself was created," Subhasri's mother Geetha told the media. "Nobody from the government or the ruling party has come and visited us or expressed condolences. We have no support and this hurts us," she added.
Her father, meanwhile, demanded action against those responsible for the banner being set up near the public road.
"The banner was the root cause for the incident. My daughter was so bright, and now she is zero, she has been extinguished," he said, " She died because of the banner. If the banner was not there she wouldn't have died, the lorry would not have run over her. Whatever action can be taken, must be taken. I don't want another father or mother to lament like us."
The police have filed cases against the lorry driver Manoj Yadav who ran over the young woman, and AIADMK functionary Jayagopal who was responsible for setting up the banner. But while the former has been arrested and let off on bail after the magistrate refused to remand him, the latter is absconding.
The sequence of the accident can be seen in this image below:
A video of Subhasri's mother speaking to the media, can be seen below:
(This story was originally published by The News Minute and has been republished here with permission.)
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