'If not for public I would've been killed', says man dragged by 2-wheeler rider in B'luru

Bengaluru, Jan 18: Seventy-one-year-old Muthappa Shivayogi Thontapur, who was dragged for more than half a kilometre by a two-wheeler rider in Bengaluru, on Wednesday said that if not for timely public intervention, he would have been killed.

According to hospital sources, the elderly man is recovering from his injuries.

Thontapur's health is stabilised and he is being treated in the ICU. The doctors are saying that he will be discharged soon. Meanwhile, the Govindarajnagar police who are investigating the case have recorded his statement.

DCP West Lakshman Nimbargi has stated that two FIRs have been registered against the accused person Sahil in the case. "One case is registered by Vijayanagar Traffic police station. Another one is registered with Govindarajnagar police regarding the inhuman act of the accused," he said.

The police have registered a case under IPC Sections 337, 338 and 307. Accused Sahil is being taken into custody.

Muthappa in his statement to the police explained that he parked a Bolero vehicle and was answering a phone call when this incident happened on Tuesday.

The accused came there on white scooter, rammed the car from behind and tried to escape. "I caught hold of his scooter handle. The accused increased the speed of his vehicle knowing well that I was being dragged," he told police.

The victim further stated that he had pleaded with the accused rider to stop the vehicle. "He turned deaf ears to my pleas and continued to drag me on the road. Onlookers who saw this, stopped him and rescued me," he stated.

"The accused had threatened to get me killed for daring to hold his vehicle. My both legs, knees and back are severely injured in the incident," he told police.

The government has declared that the treatment would be given free of cost to the victim. The horrific video of Muthappa has gone viral.