Hampi road accident: Video of Israeli tourist’s Rs 6L payout sparks online outrage

HUBBALLI: A Feb 16 road accident in Sanapur near Hampi — the day the court delivered its verdict in the Hampi gang rape and murder case involving an Israeli survivor — has surfaced more than a month later after a video of a compensation payout went viral on social media.

Shantakumar , 28, a masonry supervisor, was allegedly hit by an Israeli tourist while speeding on a two wheeler, his brother N Vijay told TOI .

“He suffered serious leg injuries, lost a lot of blood and had to be moved to a private hospital in Ballari,” Vijay said. Doctors diagnosed a fracture and advised plastic surgery costing about Rs 11 lakh, he added.

Vijay said the family was initially dissuaded from going public given the sensitive timing of the accident. “We were told it could hurt Hampi’s image as an international tourist destination,” he said.

However, the situation got a bit tricky for Shantakumar and his family when the Ballari hospital insisted on a police complaint before conducting the surgery. On returning to Sanapur on Feb 18, some persons claiming to represent the Israeli tourist offered Rs 6 lakh as compenation. “We accepted it due to the medical emergency,” Vijay said.

The issue came to light only after a video of the payout surfaced online, triggering backlash on social media that the family had defamed Hampi and India by accepting cash from a foreigner to hush up the incident.

When the family approached Gangavathi Rural police, Vijay said they were asked by the cops why they were filing a complaint even after accepting compensation?

“After hours of discussion, the case was finally registered,” Vijay said, adding that Shantakumar remains hospitalised and may take two more months to walk.

Vijay said the family is considering legal action against those “misrepresenting facts” on social media. Koppal SP Ram L Arasiddi, meanwhile, termed the incident a “minor accident”, confirming that a case was registered on Feb 18.

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