A woman’s daily commute turned fatal on Tuesday morning in Mangaluru, after a pothole on the national highway led to a horrific accident that has now drawn legal action against both a truck driver and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Madhavi, a 44-year-old resident of Surathkal Kulai, was riding her scooter towards her workplace when she fell victim to a pothole on NH-66 near Kulur, around 8:30 am. She worked as a lab technician at a private hospital in Kuntikana and was reportedly travelling from her home in Baikampady to the hospital when the accident occurred.
According to police accounts and CCTV footage that has since gone viral, her two-wheeler lost balance after hitting a pothole near the Gold Finch City grounds. She fell to the side of the road and was crushed by a lorry carrying fish, which was coming from the Udupi direction. The truck was allegedly driven in a negligent manner by Mohammed Farooq, who has been booked for rash and negligent driving.
Witnesses at the scene say Madhavi died instantly from the injuries she sustained. The Mangaluru North Traffic Police have registered a case under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 198(A) of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act. Farooq was arrested and later released on bail.
Case Registered Against NHAI Officials
Public reaction has been swift and furious. The shocking CCTV footage has intensified scrutiny of the NHAI’s role in maintaining the highway. In response to mounting pressure, police have also filed a case against NHAI officials, citing criminal negligence for failing to repair potholes on the national highway, which directly led to the fatal accident.
“This is not an accident it’s a direct consequence of administrative apathy,” said Muneer Katipalla, convener of the Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samiti. He further demanded, “NHAI must be held accountable for failing to repair potholes and should compensate the victims’ families.”
Following the tragedy, NHAI personnel reportedly arrived at the location to carry out temporary repairs on the damaged stretch. However, this move has been widely criticised as reactionary and insufficient. Residents argue that similar warnings had been raised in the past, but authorities repeatedly ignored the problem.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) K Ravi Shankar visited the site of the incident shortly after the accident. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy confirmed that the poor state of the road was a key factor in the accident and assured that all responsible parties would be investigated.
Similar Incidents Reported Before
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the region. Just a week earlier, another criminal negligence case was filed against NHAI for a similar incident. In June, a pillion rider named Mohammed Ashraf died in Panambur after a vehicle swerved to avoid a pothole. A separate accident in August at the Nanthoor junction also involved a rider falling from a scooter, though no formal case was registered at that time.
Civic activists and local residents have repeatedly called out the deteriorating condition of NH-66, especially between Surathkal and Nanthoor. Despite multiple protests, complaints, and even earlier police notices, long-term repairs have not been carried out. Critics say that Madhavi’s death is a result of years of neglected infrastructure and delayed action.
As the investigation continues, both the lorry driver and highway authorities are under legal scrutiny. For locals and activists, however, Madhavi’s death stands as a grim reminder that bad roads don’t just cause inconvenience they kill.
