Narayana says did not know driving habit of son

Andhra Pradesh Minister P Narayana’s son P Nishit, who died in a road accident in Hyderabad yesterday, was cremated in Nellore on Thursday afternoon.

An inconsolable Narayana, who rushed back from London to Nellore this morning, lit the pyre on the banks of river Penna.

“Nobody should face this situation in which I am finding myself today”, Narayana kept repeating as mourners, including ministers, MLAs and MLCs lined up to console him. Minister Nara Lokesh, deputy chief minister Chinna Rajappa were among the prominent political leaders who attended the funeral. State governor ESL Narasimhan spoke to the minister over phone and expressed his condolences.

The funeral procession from Narayana Medical College to cremation grounds was attended by thousands of people including teachers and students of the Narayana Group of Institutions.

Nishit and his friend Ravichand Verma were killed when their Mercedes Benz collided with a pillar of Metro Rail in Jubilee Hills in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Police said speeding was the cause of the crash.

Hyderabad police also revealed that Nishit was issued challans thrice in the past for driving at a very high speed. Once his vehicle had reached a speed of 154km on the city roads, an official said.

However Narayana said that he was not aware that his son was involved in rash driving. “If I had known, I would have surely scolded him. Whenever he drove in my presence, he used to be very careful. Even then I used to advise him against over speeding”, said Narayana.

22 year old Nishit was the only son of the minister for municipal administration. He was recently appointed director of the family-owned Narayana Group of Educational Institutions, known for producing thousands of medical and engineering graduates.

Nishit’s childhood friend Ravichandar Verma was also cremated in Tangutur today.

The state has witnessed the death of several prominent politicians or their children in road accidents over the last one and a half decades. They include former home minister P Indira Reddy, Telugu Desam Party general secretary Lal Jan Basha and former Telugu Desam Parliamentary party leader K Yerran Naidu and former minister P Shobha Nagi Reddy.

Several VIPs have also lost their children in the road accidents. They include film actors turn politicians Kota Srinivas and Babu Mohan, former Rajya Sabha member Nandamuri Harikrishna, former minister K Venkat Reddy and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin who lost his son and nephew.

source: GULF NEWS