In a tragic accident early Sunday morning, two Indian Navy personnel including Asia Cup gold medallist Chief Petty Officer Vishnu Raghunathan (27) and Petty Officer Ananth Krishnan (18) lost their lives after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in the Parwalia area of Bhopal. Both were in Bhopal for a training camp with their naval unit and were en route to the Boat Club for practice when the accident occurred around 3 a.m. Police said the two were riding a motorcycle when a speeding vehicle rammed into them on the main road near Raksha Bihar Colony.
Vishnu Raghunathan, who hailed from Kerala, was a national kayaking champion and had won the gold medal in the 1000m K-2 category at the 2024 Asia Cup held in Hong Kong. The young sailor was considered one of the brightest prospects in Indian kayaking.
According to police both men were found severely injured by their teammates, who rushed them to the hospital. Vishnu succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission, while Ananth died during treatment later that morning.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team found blood stains, two helmets, and a broken pole at the crash site, indicating that the accident involved a heavy vehicle impact. Their motorcycle was found completely mangled.
Police have registered a case and are reviewing CCTV footage from cameras installed near the defence colony to identify the vehicle and driver involved. Both victims were reportedly wearing helmets at the time of the crash, but the impact was so powerful that it proved fatal.
The tragic death of the Navy athletes came amid two other serious hit-and-run cases reported in Indore and Bhopal over the weekend, highlighting the growing menace of speeding and reckless driving in the state.
In Indore, two friends Ayush (23) and Krishna Pal (21) were killed on the spot when a speeding SUV rammed into their motorcycle near a private hospital in the Lasudia area. A third rider, Shreyansh, remains critical at MY Hospital. Police have identified the SUV through CCTV footage and are searching for the absconding driver.
In Bhopal, a drunk Bolero driver, identified as Alkesh Paliwal, caused chaos late Saturday night, ramming into several vehicles and pedestrians at Danish Square. Four people were injured, though all are now stable. Police arrested the driver, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time.