Bengaluru: In a shocking incident, the Karnataka police have allegedly tried to hush up an accident case involving the son of revenue minister R Ashok. 

Two persons, including a pedestrian and a passenger in the car, were killed in the incident which took place on February 10 in Mariyammanahalli near Hospet in Bellary district.

According to sources, minister R Ashok's son Sharath had been to a resort near Hampi to celebrate his birthday. It is said that the accident took place while he was returning in his Mercedes Benz (registration number KA 05 MW 0357) with his friends. 

Sources said that Sharath was allegedly in the driver's seat and was speeding. He lost control of the wheel near Durga petrol bunk on National Highway 50 and hit a local youth Ravi Naik, who was drinking tea. Ravi Naik died on the spot. A friend of Sharath named Sachin who was sitting in the seat beside the driver also succumbed to injuries.

The policemen who went to record the case allegedly left out the name of the minister’s son from the investigation. It is said that they recorded that another person by name Rahul was driving the car. They named all the friends of the minister’s son but excluded his name from the FIR. 

When the registration number of the car was traced, it was found to be registered in the name of a reputed educational institute whose franchise is held by the minister, according to sources. 

Minister Ashok denied that his son was in the driver's seat, and that he was unnecessarily being dragged into the controversy.

Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said he would get the details and then react on the incident.

Minister Ashok added that he did not want to state anything about the incident since an investigation was being carried out. "The law is equal for all and as a minister I don't want to influence anything. My son's name is not in the FIR. There is no connection between us and the car which met with the accident,"  he maintained.

When asked specifically whether his son was there in the car, Ashok answered that since an investigation was going on, he would not make any statement at this point.

"There are two deaths in the incident. One pedestrian and another boy in the car have lost their lives. The localities have shifted them to hospital and an FIR was booked on the same day," he maintained.

Bellary superintendent of police C K Baba clarified that there was no negligence or dereliction of duty by the police in the case. R Ashok's son was not there in the car which met with an accident, he added.