Kollam (Kerala): A high-speed car accident on the Ashramam Link Road here on Tuesday evening has left two young hockey players seriously injured, sparking a political row ahead of the elections. The vehicle involved is registered in the name of K K Sreekrishna, the son of UDF candidate Bindhu Krishna.

The incident

The accident occurred around 6.15 pm near the KSRTC depot. The victims, identified as Chinnulakshmy (14) and Dhanalakshmy (14), are Class 8 students at Vallikkeezhu Govt HSS. They were walking along the footpath with their parents after attending a summer camp at the Ashramam Hockey Stadium.

According to eyewitnesses, the overspeeding Alto car (KL 16 R 2935) lost control, mounted the raised footpath, and struck the girls. The impact was so severe that Chinnulakshmy was thrown into the nearby lake and Dhanalakshmy got trapped in the protective fencing on the footpath.

Local residents and Fire and Rescue services rushed to the scene. Chinnulakshmy is currently on ventilator support at a private medical college in Mevaram due to internal bleeding, while Dhanalakshmy sustained multiple fractures.

Driver detained; political links surface

The car was reportedly occupied by KSU and Youth Congress activists returning from the Kottikalasham (final election campaign) in Chinnakada. Police have taken Devanandan, a third-year Kollam Law College student and native of Neyyattinkara, into custody. While Devanandan was behind the wheel, witnesses claimed two other occupants fled the scene following the crash.

Police recovered Congress party flags and campaign posters of Bindhu Krishna from the damaged vehicle.

Bindhu Krishna responds

UDF candidate Bindu Krishna confirmed that the vehicle belongs to her son, however, claimed that he was not in the car at the time of the accident.

"The car was used by KSU and Youth Congress workers returning from the campaign finale. My son was not in the vehicle," she told the media.

Political backlash

With elections around the corner, the CPM has hit out at the UDF, demanding stringent action against the workers involved. Senior CPM leaders visited the injured students at the hospital and accused the activists of reckless behaviour.

The Kollam East Police has registered a case and is investigating the circumstances surrounding the overspeeding and the safety protocols violated during the campaign procession.