Ramya, 10, her uncle and grandfather were killed in a car crash in Hyderabad's Banjara Hills area
Highlights
- After 3 of a family were killed in car crash, license of 3 bars cancelled
- Accused Shravil was under the legally permitted age of 21 years
- Drive against bars serving liquor to underage customers intensified
After deaths in three generations of a single family in Hyderabad because of drink driving by a student, the license of three bars including TGIF or Thank God It's Friday has been cancelled.
The TGIF bar in the upscale Banjara Hills area had served liquor to engineering student K Shravil, who is accused of ramming a car later and killing three of a family on July 1.
Shravil and his friends were all under the legally permitted age of 21 years, but were still served alcohol.
The police have threatened to inform schools and colleges if students are caught drinking in bars or pubs or on the road.
Even if those drinking legally are caught driving, their workplace will be informed, the police say.
CCTV footage reveals that shortly after leaving the bar, Shravil and his friends got into their car drunk and sped on the Banjara Hills main road, crashing into a road divider before landing on a car on the opposite side of the road.
35-year-old P Rajesh, who was driving the other car, died on the spot. His niece Ramya, 10, was on life support for eight days before she died in hospital.
Rajesh's father P Madhusudanachary, who was fractured in his backbone and ribs, died on Monday morning.
Little Ramya became the most poignant image from the tragic car crash that horrified not just Hyderabad but also the rest of the country.
Rajesh and his wife Shilpa were to leave for the US the next day along with their 3-year-old son.
''Why has the excise department woken up so late, after our family is destroyed? Wasn't it always illegal to serve liquor to minors?'' Shilpa questioned.
Amid waves of public rage, Telangana's excise department has intensified its drive against bars and pubs serving liquor to underage customers and warned that licences will be cancelled.
The government says it is the responsibility of the bar to check IDs of their customers before serving liquor. But a bar owner said it is difficult to identify underage patrons without offending genuine customers.