Bantwal: The last rites of former district youth Congress president Bondala Jagannath Shetty who died in a road accident on Tuesday night, were held at his home town Bondala on Wednesday evening in the presence of several dignitaries and hundreds of Congress workers.

Earlier, the mortal remains were placed at  Farangipete, BC Road and Shambhur Government shool for the public to pay their last respect.

Several Congress leaders, workers and social workers were present.

Meanwhile, the driver of the LPG cylinder lorry which was responsible for the accident in which Bondala was killed, has been arrested. He has been identified  as Kumar of Hassan. The place where the accident took place is considered an accident zone. Last year a scooter driver had died in an accident here after coming under  a lorry.

On the other hand, senior Congress leader B Janardhan Poojari who spoke to reporters after offering tributes to Bondala Jagannath Shetty,  while referring to the suspicion of locals that this might have been a pre-planned  murder, said he has requested to police to conduct an impartial probe. He at the same time said he felt it was not a murder.

Several leaders including DCC Chief Ramanatha Rai, MLA UT Khader, former MP Vinaykumar Sorake, District BJP Chief Padmanabha Kottari,  were present during the funeral.