The 22-year-old son of DMK Rajya Sabha MP N R Elango died when the car he was driving met with an accident on the East Coast Road in Villupuram district on Thursday morning. Rakesh Ranganathan, who was at the wheels, died on the spot while his friend K Vedha Vikash (21) suffered injuries in the accident.
The accident took place on Thursday morning when Rakesh and his friend were proceeding to Puducherry from Chennai. “The car was travelling at a high speed and suddenly a cow crossed the busy road. Rakesh tried to avoid hitting the cow, but the vehicle lost balance and crashed on the median,” a senior police officer said.
Locals, the officer said, found Rakesh dead while Vikash was battling for his life and sent them to Puducherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Many spots on the East Coast Road connecting Chennai with Pondicherry are accident-prone zones.
DMK leaders condoled the death of Rakesh, whose last rites were conducted in the evening. Elango, a top-notch lawyer and an integral part of DMK’s legal wing, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 and he was closely involved in the legal battle with regard to the burial of the party’s patriarch M Karunanidhi on Marina Beach in Chennai.
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