Bhatkal: Pejawar Swamiji's entourage meets with accident - cook dead, 8 injured
Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal
Update: May 15
Bhatkal, May 14: The cook of Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji of Pejawar Math in Udupi was killed and eight others in the entourage were injured when a tempo traveller rammed into a lorry at Manki near here on Tuesday May 14 evening.
The deceased has been identified as Gopalakrishna Adiga (58), a cook by profession hailing from Udupi. He was a native of Kodangala in Alevoor near Udupi.
All the eight persons injured are also from Udupi, however, their identities are not yet known.
A 11-member party led by Pejawar Swamiji from Udupi was on its way back from Dandeli. They had been to participate in a puja there. While the Swamiji was returning to Udupi in a car, his assistants who had accompanied him, were following in the ill-fated Tempo Trax vehicle.
It is said that on the way back, at Manki, the driver of the tempo traveller tried to overtake another vehicle and in the process collided head-on with an oncoming lorry. The driver of the vehicle suffered injuries to his back.
Gopalakrishna Adiga suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot.
The lorry was loaded with plywood and was moving towards Mumbai.
Honnavar circle inspector Manjunath along with PSI Nityanand Pandit visted the spot.
A case has been registered in Honnavar police station.
Adiga was entrusted with the task of preparing food for Pejavar Swamiji for the last 35 years. On Tuesday afternoon too, the Swamiji had partaken the food prepared by Adiga. The deceased is survived by wife. The news of the accident reached the Swamiji when his vehicle was near Brahmavar in Udupi taluk.