A leading Kannada actor and her friend sustained injuries following a car crash in the city in the early hours of Saturday following which both went missing, prompting police to launch a search.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda confirmed the initial reports that actor Sharmiela Mandre, 33, and her friend Lokesh Vasanth, 35, were in the car. However there was no clarity on who was behind the wheels. "We have taken up a case whoever is at the fault, action will be taken against them," he said.
High Grounds Traffic police said the actor has suffered injuries on her face and hand while Lokesh sustained fracture in arm. Police were also investigating whether the duo was on a joy ride, violating the prohibitory order clamped to prevent spread of Covid-19.
Police said they got information from control room around 3 am about the accident at the railway underbridge in Vasanth Nagar in the central business district.
The police came to the spot to find only the car and its occupants missing. They got an alert from Fortis Hospital on Cunningham Road stating two persons identified as Sharmiela Mandre and Lokesh Vasanth have been admitted in their hospital with injuries sustained in an accident. But they have given statement saying they met with an accident at JP Nagar.
"When we rushed to the hospital, the duo was undergoing treatment. But they managed to get discharged from the hospital by telling doctors that they want to get further treatment from their family doctor," police said.
According to police, the Jaguar car involved in the accident had hit the pillar of an underbridge in Vasangth Nagar. "We don't know how the car hit the pillar but they have given statement saying they met with accident at JP Nagar," said an investigating officer from High Grounds traffic police station.
Misleading police
Police are suspecting the duo has given false statement to mislead their investigation. The Jaguar car bearing registration number KA-51 MJ-2481 has been seized. The car is registered in the name of a person identified as Thomas.
"We then asked him to reveal their names, which he refused and asked us to leave them without registering any case. We explained to him that it was a serious offence and the railway underbridge pillar has been damaged along with the car. People in it are injured and we cannot let them go without case. When we told him that he will be detained for giving false statement, he left the spot," police said.