Woman rider trying to avoid AIADMK flagpole in Coimbatore injured after being hit by truck; no order against erecting flags, claims Tamil Nadu CM

A woman rider in Coimbatore was injured after she fell on the road while trying to avoid flagpoles erected by AIADMK. A truck coming from behind ran over her legs causing fractures in both legs.

Representational image. Reuters

According to the police, the 30-year-old woman, identified as Anuradha Rajeshwari, has suffered multiple fractures in both her legs after the truck ran over her. Anuradha, who works as an accountant at a hotel in Coimbatore, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. According to a report by NDTV, another man riding a motorcycle was also hit by the truck. He suffered injuries on his hand and knee.

The truck was behind the woman when she swerved to avoid hitting the flagpole lying on the ground. The flagpole was reportedly put up to welcome Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was visiting the city.

Police have registered a case against the truck driver, identified as Murugan but have not taken any action against the AIADMK workers who put up the flagpole "without permission".

"The driver has confessed that he was speeding as his owner had asked him to come fast. The flagpoles were erected on the sandy side of the road. There is no way they could have reached the right lane of the highway. We have filed a case only against the truck driver," a senior police officer told NDTV on the condition of anonymity.

The woman's family however alleged that the police are trying to cover up the role played by the flagpoles. Claiming that the flagpoles had been erected to welcome the chief minister, the woman's uncle told NDTV: "The flagpole fell and that's why Anu turned right to the other lane in panic and got hit by the truck."

The accident comes on the same day when the Madras High Court granted conditional bail to a former AIADMK councillor Jayagopal and another person who were arrested in connection with the death of a woman techie after a hoarding erected by them for a family wedding fell on her while she was riding a two-wheeler in Chennai.

On 12 September , Subashree (23) died after falling on the road as she was knocked off her two-wheeler by a banner erected for the wedding of Jayagopal's son. She was crushed under the wheels of a truck that was coming from behind.

The incident had triggered public outrage following which the AIADMK and the DMK gave an undertaking in the court that they had asked their cadres not to erect cut outs, flex boards or banners that would cause hindrance to the public.

Following Tuesday's accident, Palaniswami claimed not to have any information about the incident, but added that as far as he knew, there had been no order against erecting flags, said a report in India Today.

The Madras High Court had on 13 September come down heavily on government officials for failing to implement its orders and said that it is tired of passing orders against illegal hoardings.

With inputs from agenices