Former India cricketer Chandrasekhar passes away at 57; police suspect suicide
Chennai, Aug 16: Former India opener and national selector V B Chandrasekhar passed away in Chennai, in a case of suicide, police said on Friday.
It was initially reported that he had died following a massive cardiac arrest.
According to a senior police official, Chandrasekhar ended his life by hanging himself at his house in the city on Thursday evening due to debts.
He was under a lot of stress due to the debts incurred, the police official added.
The former Indian opener owned a team (VB Kanchi Veerans) in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, the fourth edition of which concluded on Thursday.
The dashing Tamil Nadu right-hander of yesteryears, who was only six days short of his 58th birthday, is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Chandrasekhar played 7 ODIs between 1988 and 1990, scoring only 88 runs, but at the domestic level he was prolific for a few seasons, aggregating 4,999 runs in 81 games with a highest score of 237 not out.
A qualified engineer, VB as he was popularly known in cricketing circles, was a member of the state team that won the Ranji Trophy in 1987-'88.
The cricketing fraternity across the country was shocked to learn about Chandrasekhar's passing.
The Indian cricket board condoled his death and posted on its Twitter handle (@BCCI): "BCCI regrets to inform that former India opener VB Chandrasekhar is no more. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and his fans."
Former India captain Krish Srikkanth, who had opened several times in the past, said he was shocked to learn about VB's death adding he was a very nice person.
India and Chennai Super Kings player Suresh Raina condoled the death of Chandrasekhar.
"Extremely sad & shocked to hear about the passing away of VB Chandrasekhar sir. His consistent efforts made it possible to set the right foundation of the CSK team. He always encouraged & believed in us since very beginning. My deepest condolences to the family," Raina tweeted.
India and CSK off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also expressed his sadness.
"Very shocking to hear VB Chandrashekhar indian cricketer is no more.. very sad news .. very young to go..
rest in peace VB.. Big lose. condolences to the family," Harbhajan wrote on his twitter handle.
IPL team Chennai Super Kings, for which Chandrasekhar was director-operations and a selector, condoled the death.
"One of the main architects behind CSKs strong foundation and brand of cricket! V B Chandrasekhar's contribution to TN cricket as a player, mentor and official is immeasurable. He was an integral part of the Super Kings family and it is truly a personal loss to all of us," the CSK said on its twitter handle.
One of the main architects behind CSK’s strong foundation and brand of cricket! V B Chandrasekhar's contribution to TN cricket as a player, mentor and official is immeasurable. He was an intergral part of the Super Kings family and it is truly a personal loss to all of us. ? pic.twitter.com/G8AdRdBmTz
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 16, 2019
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Pune accident: Porsche car's registration was pending since March due to non-payment of Rs 1,758 fee
Mumbai, May 21: The permanent registration of the luxury Porsche car involved in the accident in which two IT professionals were fatally knocked down by in Pune city was pending since March due to non-payment of Rs 1,758 fees by the owner, top officials of the Maharashtra transport department said on Tuesday.
The electric luxury sports sedan - Porsche Taycan - was being driven allegedly by a prominent builder's 17-year-old son, who the police claim was drunk at the time of the accident that took place in Kalyani Nagar area in the early hours of Sunday.
Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar told PTI that the Porsche car was imported in March by a dealer in Bengaluru and from there it was sent to Maharashtra on a temporary registration.
"When it was produced at the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO), it was found that a certain registration fee was not paid and the owner was asked to pay the amount for completion of the procedure. However, the vehicle was not brought to the RTO for the completion of the registration process after that," he said.
According to officials, road tax is exempted for electric vehicles registered in Maharashtra, and hence for the registration of this Porsche Taycan model, the registration fees that were applicable were only Rs 1,758 with the break-up of Rs 1,500 hypothecation fees, Rs 200 smart card RC fees and Rs 58 postal charges.
Interestingly, as per Porsche India's website, the ex-showroom price of the vehicle manufacturer's various cars starts at Rs 96 lakh and goes over Rs 1.86 crore. Though the price of the Porsche Taycan model is not given on the website, transport department sources said that it could be in crores.
The officials said that as per their records, the vehicle had a valid temporary registration certificate issued by Karnataka with a validity of six months from March to September 2024.
They said that the Porsche dealer in Bengaluru was not at fault as he had handed over the car after doing the temporary registration. Hence, it was the responsibility of the owner to get it registered at the RTO before plying it on the roads. During the temporary registration period, the vehicles can only be used to drive to and from the RTO.
Bhimanwar said that the teenage boy, who was said to be driving the car, will be barred from getting a driving licence until he turns 25 years of age, and the luxury car will also not be allowed to register at any RTO office for 12 months as its existing temporary registration will be cancelled as per the provisions in the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.
Under the sub-sections of Section 199A (offenses by juveniles) of the MV Act, the transport authorities can take this action.
Bhimanwar said that their department is going to take stringent action in this case and the Pune RTO has been asked to register the police complaint for violation of provisions in the MV Act
"Whatever violations related to the Motor Vehicles Act happened in the issue, those will be registered in the FIR," Bhimanwar said, adding that they will also invoke the procedure for cancellation of the temporary registration of the vehicle as per the provisions in the act.
"The vehicle will be impounded for 12 months," another top official of the transport department said, adding that there is gross negligence in this case as the vehicle was driven at a speed over 160 kmph, allegedly in an inebriated state as per media reports.
The official said that there are several violations in this case, including driving the vehicle without a driving licence and without its registration, among others.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a press conference in Pune this evening that the car was purchased in Bengaluru and was brought here.
"As per the primary information, the RTI had carried out its inspection but the tax which was required to be paid was not paid. If there is any violation regarding that, a separate FIR will be registered," he said.
