BELAGAVI, 15 JAN 

The case related to minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s car accident on Monday near Ambadgatti near Kittur town took a sudden turn on Wednesday after her driver, who had initially said he lost control of the vehicle in an attempt to avoid hitting a stray dog, filed a hit-and-run case with Kittur police.

Belagavi Superintendent of Police (SP) Bheemashankar S Guled confirmed that Hebbalkar’s driver Gangadharaiah has filed an FIR in connection with the accident on Tuesday.

Gangadharaiah said in the FIR that he was driving on Lane 2 on Pune–Bengaluru national highway when a large truck on Lane 1 scraped the right side of his car.

As he moved his car to the left, the truck again hit the car, harder this time, because of which he lost control of the vehicle and it hit a tree after crossing the service road, Guled said.

Kittur police, however, have not withdrawn a case of rash and negligent driving they registered against Gangadharaiah on Monday, the SP said.

Guled said police are checking the CCTV cameras on highway and the toll plazas to trace the truck.

The high end car rammed into the tree at a high speed, the SP said. The minister, her brother and MLC Channaraj Hattiholi and gunman were in the car.

The injured are receiving treatment at Vijaya Ortho and Trauma Centre in Belagavi. Dr Ravi Patil said Hattiholi was discharged on Monday night. Lakshmi is condition is out of danger, but she is responding to slowly, Dr Patil said.