Drunk lawyer knocks out pole, power in Bangalore

Residents of Lakshmi Layout in Arakere spent a sleepless night swatting mosquitoes after a drunken driver crashed his car into an electric pole knocking out power supply.

Witnesses said the accident occurred at 1.30 am on Monday when a white Maruti Swift with four revellers—all advocates—came on the wrong side of the road and slammed into a utility pole, breaking it into two and snapping the power cables. The vehicle was completely damaged due to the impact of the crash.
As the area plunged in darkness, Bescom officials received several complaints from residents regarding the power outage.
Although they swung into action, power could be restored only around 6 am.

But more than the power outage, what upset the residents was the “failure” of Mico Layout traffic police in filing a case against the drunken driver, Diwakar, who claimed to be an advocate.

Witnesses were even ready to testify but the police said Bescom, which was the aggrieved party, should first file a complaint, said Aman FK, a resident.    

Bescom’s assistant executive engineer, Puttaswamy, said they did not file a complaint against Diwakar as he agreed to pay for the damage caused by the accident. It was the duty of police officials to investigate and take necessary action, he said.
Once Bescom officials finalised the damage estimate, it would be conveyed to Diwakar. “However, we’ll file a complaint if he refuses to pay up for the damage,” Puttaswamy added.