Techie dies as car owner rams bike after tiff over cigarettes

BENGALURU: A tiff over something as trivial as buying cigarettes triggered a road rage that led to the death of a software engineer in Bengaluru recently. One of his associates, also a techie, was injured after their bike was hit from behind by an SUV.

Minutes before ramming the bike with his Creta, sales executive Prateek R (31) had been locked in heated arguments with Chetan (30) and Sanjay H N (29). Prateek had allegedly ordered the duo — total strangers — to buy him cigarettes from a pushcart as he pulled over on a road early on May 10, leading to the altercation. Both Sanjay and Chetan were injured when the SUV hit their bike, with the former succumbing to grievous head injuries May 13, three days after being hit.

‘CCTV footage clearly shows how accused hit motorbike’

Prateek was arrested and booked for attempted murder initially, followed by a murder indictment after Sanjay’s death. “CCTV footage clearly shows how accused rammed into the bike,” DCP Lokesh Jagalasar said. He said the role of Prateek’s wife, who was accompanying him at that time, was also under the lens.

Around 4am on May 10, Sanjay and Chetan were smoking and having tea at a roadside pushcart on Vasantapura Main Road when a Creta pulled up near the duo. Prateek shouted: “Get me four-five cigarettes.” Chetan told Prateek to get off and get the cigarettes himself. “Irked, he got off, abused us, and was about to hit me when Sanjay intervened & pushed him away,” Chetan said in his statement to the police.

As Sanjay and Chetan hit the road, the SUV came charging from behind and rammed into their bike. Sanjay was shifted to two hospitals before he died, Chetan said.