The Karnataka government has directed Bengaluru City police, the public works department and the infrastructure development department to take action on emergency access and inter-agency coordination after a businessman died while trapped in traffic near a flyover in Bengaluru.
The office of chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh issued the directive after taking note of a Times of India report published on October 8 about the death of KK Sajir, a Bengaluru-based businessman from Kerala. Sajir reportedly suffered a heart attack while travelling in a car with a friend and remained stuck in traffic for nearly an hour near a flyover on the Chandapura side. The nearest hospital was located just below the flyover, according to the report.
The action followed a letter from Haralur Road citizen-activist and ex-serviceman Jasjit Singh Gill to chief minister DK Shivakumar. Gill cited the report and described Sajir’s death as “extraordinarily harrowing”. His appeal was initially forwarded to the city police commissioner and subsequently sent to the Bengaluru Traffic Police.
Gill said Bengaluru’s expanding network of flyovers and elevated roads can become difficult to escape during gridlocks, particularly when there is no clear emergency route through or around the structure. He proposed a five-point formula that includes emergency lifts, stretcher stairwells and stronger coordination protocols between agencies responsible for roads, traffic and infrastructure.
He also called for clear accountability during construction work involving agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India, K-Ride, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the traffic police. According to the letter, temporary bottlenecks created during ongoing works should not completely immobilise emergency vehicles.
The government directive brings several departments into the issue because access during a medical emergency can depend on more than traffic enforcement alone. Flyover design, construction barricades, road-level diversions, traffic control and the location of nearby hospitals may all affect whether an emergency vehicle or a private car can move through a congested corridor.
The report did not specify which immediate measures the departments would implement or provide a deadline for their response. Assistant commissioner of police for traffic planning Prabhakara G did not offer details when asked what action would be taken, according to the report.
The departments named in the directive are now expected to examine the emergency-access concerns and determine the next steps. The government’s action follows the citizen appeal and the chief secretary’s office taking note of the reported death.
