A day after the damaged plaque of 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan in Bengaluru triggered outrage and criticism, it has been established that it was a vehicle that caused the damage.
The plaque was erected at a junction in Yelahanka New Town Police Station limits, on the road named after him.
The police had initially suspected that it was a case of vandalism by habitual miscreants. However, after inspecting the CCTV footage of the incident, it was concluded that it was an accident involving a truck operated by the Mother Dairy company. Upon investigation, police found that the truck had a brake failure and the driver decided to hit the plaque rather than the vehicle ahead of him.
Yelahanka New Town Police Station said the case is now being investigated by the Traffic Police after BBMP officials filed a complaint. The truck has also been seized.
BBMP Mayor Sampath Raj told TNM, “Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan is one of the most important persons in the country, I do not want to waste time on what caused the accident. Restoration work will start today under the supervision of the Joint Commissioner.”
Pictures of the vandalised granite slab were put up on social media, drawing angry reactions from Bengalureans after it was initially thought to be the handiwork of miscreants.
The growing outrage over the incident prompted Deputy CM G Parameshwara, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, to instruct Bengaluru Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad to restore the structure immediately.
Am shocked to learn about the damage that has been caused to Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's memorial in Yelahanka. I have asked @BBMPCOMM to ensure that this is set right immediately. https://t.co/VJRxTc0d10
— Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) September 17, 2018
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar also urged CM HD Kumaraswamy and G Parameshwara to restore the structure before November 26.
Dear @DrParameshwara @hd_kumaraswamy - This is shameful treatmnt of sacrifice of #Namma #Bengaluru braveheart #SandipUnnkkrishnan tht too just a few days bfr 26/11
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@rajeev_mp) September 17, 2018
Urge u promptly restore this bfr 26th n track dwn crimnls bhnd this act.@CPBlr @FlagsOfHonour @Namma_Bengaluru https://t.co/RRN4MtP8gr
Major Unnikrishnan, awarded the Ashok Chakra (highest peacetime gallantry award in India) posthumously, was born on March 15, 1977 in Kozhikode and lived in Bengaluru after his family moved to the city. He studied at the Frank Anthony Public School in Ulsoor before joining the National Defence Academy in Pune in 1995. He was inducted into the Special Action Group (SAG) of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) force specialised to handle anti-terror operations.
During the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Unnikrishnan was martyred during an operation to rescue trapped hostages who were held by terrorists on the sixth floor of the Taj Mahal Hotel. Led by him, the commandos of the NSG went on to save 14 hostages.
The then Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had named the Mother Dairy Double Road stretch between Federal Mogul on Doddaballapur Road and MS Palya junction as Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road.